Mind Over Matter
by OldHunterLoryx
Summary: Ever since his Quirk manifested, Hitoshi Shinso was told by those around him that he could never be a Hero, but he always held on to his dream; and one day a chance meeting with a Pro gives Shinso the chance to enter UA High. But the hidden underworld of heroics also has an interest in Shinso, and he could find himself walking a path far darker than his peers. (Shinso in 1A AU).
1. Chapter 1- Ambition

Chapter 1- Ambition

* * *

_What is a hero?_

_It seems like a stupid question at first, a hero is somebody who uses their Quirk to beat villains, rescue people and be generally upstanding and inspiring members of society._

_But those are only the surface qualities that people think of, in truth, there is a lot more somebody needs to be a hero. A positive attitude, charisma, and a heroic and powerful quirk, and that last category is where I fall short. My Quirk is powerful enough, but heroic? Definitely not._

_I got a little ahead of myself there, let me take a step back for a second._

_My name is Hitoshi Shinso, and ever since my Quirk manifested I was told by everybody around me that I would be a perfect villain. My Quirk, Brainwashing, lets me assume control of anybody if they reply to anything that I say. I can't blame all the people who told me I'd be a good villain, they aren't wrong, and I'd probably make the same assumptions if I ran into somebody with my Quirk._

_Despite all that, I had always wanted to be a hero. Even before my Quirk had manifested I had spent days imagining what my Quirk would be, and how I would use it to beat the villains that seemed all too common, even with All Might around. I was so focused on that dream, even at that young age. Then my Quirk manifested._

_Was I disappointed? A little._

_It wasn't the kind of Quirk a hero would have, and despite the assurances from my parents and family that I could still do a lot of good with that Quirk, I couldn't help but feel that my dream of being a hero had been eroded a little with the discovery of my Quirk._

_That said, I am still determined to be the best hero I can, no matter what people say about my Quirk. I guess that's why I applied to UA, to prove that I could be a hero as good as those with the right Quirks. I know it's not going to be easy, but I'm not going to let that slow me down._

_No matter what, I will become a hero._

* * *

I looked up from the note I had written, still not entirely sure why I had written it. It seemed like a good idea at the time, a way to remove some of my stress from my body and mind by writing down my frustrations. After a few seconds of contemplation, I screwed the note up and threw it into the small bin that sat beside my desk.

Though airing my frustrations was probably a good idea I didn't realise how in depth I would go, and I seemed to get a little carried away. I didn't _hate_ my Quirk exactly, but I couldn't help but be jealous of my classmates who were blessed with Super-Strength, Fire Manipulation or other flashy and 'heroic' Quirks. And whether or not they were judging me consciously or not, I always saw the subtle change in body language and demeanour that would come over any of my classmates that learned of my Quirk, and I could tell they were afraid of me using my Quirk on them.

Despite all that I refused to let other people's perceptions of me stop me from becoming a hero, and so I worked as hard as I could to prepare myself for the career that I had always dreamed about. And all the effort came to a head today, the UA High School practical entrance exam.

I had taken the written exam for the Hero Course yesterday, and the exam for General Studies the week before that. Both written exams were far from easy, but I hoped that I had managed well enough to earn a passing grade. I had no real desire to enter the General Studies course, but I was well aware of my Quirk's limitations and I knew that having a backup plan was a sensible precaution to take, and if the worst happened, General Studies at UA was still a prestigious course. Besides, a distant relative who had passed through General Studies told me that any student who excelled in their studies had the opportunity to move up to the Hero Course, so even if I didn't make it in initially, I still had other opportunities.

Despite that, the thought of failing to make my way in UA's Hero Course churned my stomach in ways that I hadn't quite expected. I knew that failure was always a possibility in life, and I'm not foolish enough to think that good intentions are the only thing needed to make it into UA, but the idea of falling short of such a monumental goal sent a shot of fear into my system.

The clock on my desk turned over to 8AM, and I knew that I couldn't afford to delay myself any further. When I took the written test in my Middle School yesterday I had received a letter telling me to be present at UA campus at exactly 9AM, and I had also received a small pass badge, which would let me through the apparently high-tech security system that the school boasted.

I grabbed the bag that contained the 'sportswear' that we had been told to bring and exited my bedroom, pausing only to throw a small glance at the crumpled note that I had thrown aside. Before I could become caught up in the emotion that that note contained I closed the door behind me and, clenching my fists, I made to leave towards the exam that would decide my future.

I was the only one home right now, my younger siblings were on their way to school already, and my mother had left for work, having wished me luck the night before. As for my Father, he had passed away about 9 years ago, having been killed in an attack by a villain that was randomly terrorizing people on the street before being taken down by All Might. Though thinking of him was still a painful experience, it had been a long time ago, and though none of my family could ever really move past something like that, we at least managed to get on with our lives. Of course, it was still a painful experience to think of him, and certain days would always be harder than others, but I always strived to do him proud and honour his memory, and that motivation kept me from being caught up in my own grief for too long. In a strange way I way grateful that my siblings were too young to remember much about him, as I would have hated to have seen them go through the same grief my mother and I did..

Thinking of my parents led me to thinking of their Quirks, my Mother, Jōnetsu Shinso, had a Quirk called 'Empath' which allowed her to read the emotions of anybody she wished; and so she used her Quirk to earn a good living as a psychologist, and my younger sister, Maindo Shinso, had inherited this Quirk from her. My Father, Miryoku Shinso, possessed a Quirk called 'Mesmerize' which let him hold people's attention and made him far more persuasive than the average person, and he had used this Quirk to make a career in Sales, my younger brother, Karisuma Shinso, had inherited some variation of this Quirk as well.

Somehow the combination of these two Quirks had led to me gaining the 'Brainwashing' Quirk, something far more strange and powerful than the sum of its parts. Though I understood how two mental-based Quirks could combine to create another mental-based Quirk, I still didn't fully understand the genetics behind Quirks; no one really did for that matter, but maybe UA could shed some light on that as well.

I shrugged my shoulders and briefly glanced in the hallway mirror to check my appearance, and after another futile attempt to tame my messy purple hair I just shrugged again and left as quickly as I could, as ready as I could ever be to take on the infamous UA practical exam.

* * *

The bus I had barely caught was full to the brim with people, but I somehow managed to find a seat, albeit an extremely cramped one, as the occupant next to me had some kind of mutation Quirk that gave him six arms, reducing the space available for me somewhat.

The boy with six arms seemed to notice my discomfort somewhat and moved his arms out of the way, which I murmured my thanks for. I then watched with only barely disguised fascination as he lifted one of the extra limbs he possessed, the end of which quickly formed into a mouth that faced towards me.

"So, are you going to UA?" He asked, his head facing towards me with an expression hidden by a cloth mask and angular hair.

"How did you work that out?" I asked, still amazed by his Quirk, though Quirks were commonplace in our superhuman society it was still an impressive ability.

"You're dressed in a school uniform on a Saturday and carrying a sports bag." He said, the mouth on his arm talking while his actual face stayed still "Same as me." He gestured to his uniform from a school I didn't know and the bag at his feet.

"So, I guess you're here for the physical exam then?" I asked, and after he nodded to the affirmative I continued "Any idea what we're up against?"

"Unfortunately, I haven't any idea" He replied, his seemingly stoic demeanour briefly giving way to some anxiety in his expression "I've heard from previous graduates that it changes every year, sometimes you're fighting each other, sometimes you fight in groups against low-level pros, it seems to be totally random every year."

"Hopefully it's something I can use my Quirk against." I muttered, unsure as to why I would bring up my Quirk when talking to somebody I had just met "Some scenarios work against me."

"What is your Quirk anyway?" he asked, "I'm sure you can guess what mine is."

"It's called Brainwashing." I answered, looking to the ground to avoid the judgemental expression I would surely receive "It lets me assume control of anybody who replies to something I say."

I waited for the inevitable comments to arrive, telling me how creepy and villainous my quirk was, perhaps with an additional shocked look as whoever I was talking to contemplated the possibility that I would use my Quirk on them.

"Sounds like it could be useful." He said, "I suppose it all depends on whether or not you can get them talking?"

Those words shocked me, and when I looked up to see the same stoic expression I was talking to just a few moments ago I was even more shocked. I was so used to having people react poorly upon hearing about my Quirk that it came as a genuine surprise that somebody would react so nonchalantly towards me.

"I guess so." I replied, still a little taken aback "At the very least I can count on the fact that most villains aren't too smart, so I should be able to trick them."

"Maybe." He muttered, seemingly deep in thought "The only issue is that people will learn more about your Quirk as you become more famous."

"I don't have any desire to be famous." I shrugged "Anyway, what's your Quirk? I can see the extra arms, but are there any other aspects to it?"

"It's called Dupli-Arms." He said, shaking me from my train of thought "It lets me replicate any appendage on the end of my arms, even other arms."

"You could do a lot with that." I noted, though I thought that improved physical strength would be the best use of that Quirk in this upcoming exam. "I guess you're hoping for something that you can use your enhanced strength on in this test?"

"Of course." He replied, pausing for a few seconds before continuing "I should introduce myself, I'm Mezo Shoji." He held out a hand for me to shake.

"Hitoshi Shinso." I answered, taking the offered limb and shaking it "Hopefully I'll see you in the Hero Course."

Something about that statement didn't quite ring true to me, it was a strange assurance for me to give to someone, as my own place within the Hero Course was far from a certain thing, and I didn't intend on making promises I couldn't keep. I was certain enough that Shoji would be able to earn a place in the peak of UA's heroics program, but my own future was far less certain.

It looked like Shoji was going to say something else but something he saw in the window behind me caught his attention instead.

"We're here."

* * *

Shoji and I were only two of many students exiting the bus to go towards UA, and he stated that he had preparations to make before disappearing into the crowd, an impressive feat given the fact that he towered over everybody else by almost a foot. I waited for the crowd to thin out before making my way towards UA.

I paused when I realised that I was stood underneath the UA archway, the great symbolism of the gate that I was about to pass under catching me off guard for a moment. Though it seemed somewhat of a strange thought, I couldn't help but think that passing under this arch would be the first step on a path that would lead to me becoming a hero. If I could just pass this exam I would prove everybody who had talked about how evil and villainous my Quirk was wrong, I would be able to show people that anybody could become a hero, no matter their power.

After a few more seconds of contemplation I steeled myself again and pushed forwards, hoping that I would be able to fulfil my dream of being a hero. It felt strange to take those first few steps onto the campus, and it was even stranger to realise that everybody else around me was a prospective hero as well. I could see the whole spectrum of emotion on the faces of the students around, from smug confidence to barely-contained nerves at the upcoming challenges.

I was lucky in this regard in that my demeanour seemed to radiate quiet disinterest, or so I was told. It wasn't really something that I did deliberately, but it seemed to be the mood my expression projected, no matter what. At the very least this kept people from bothering me during middle school, as anybody looking for someone to push around or annoy would seem to instinctively ignore me.

It was strange enough to be entering UA, to go from an ordinary middle school to one of the most prestigious schools in the country seemed like some kind of fantasy, and the fact that I had a chance to earn a place in this school was more than a little surreal. I eventually managed to overcome this sense of awe that was washing over me, and made my way towards the imposing building that was UA High.

I took notice of the various students around me, they were as varied as any other group of people after the advent of Quirks, with physical characteristics of almost indescribable diversity. There was only one commonality between them all, each and every student had an expression of utter determination and drive, an unspoken willpower to prove themselves and show that they were willing and able to prove that they deserved a space at UA. It was daunting to see such force of will amongst those I would surely be competing against, but I knew that I would have match their willpower with my own, and prove that I was just as capable as anybody else here. Setting my jaw, I kept moving forwards, thoughts of determination coursing through my mind.

Just in front of me I saw a rather strange sight, a boy with green hair floating a few inches above the ground engaged in a somewhat animated conversation with a girl who seemed to be at least partially responsible for his predicament. The strange site distracted me for a few seconds, but I realised that I stood in the grounds of UA High now, and that Quirk usage was to be expected, even in a situation as strange as this one. I shrugged my shoulders and moved on, hoping that any other strangeness would be kept to a minimum for the rest of the day.

* * *

"Hey there listeners!" A painfully loud voice called out

'Well, so much for keeping the rest of the day normal' I thought, looking at the sight of a man with a wild mohawk dressed like a Radio DJ, my confusion was compounded by the fact that he stood at the podium in the forefront of the lecture hall I was seated in, indicating that he was a member of the UA faculty.

The lecture hall itself was an expectedly grand affair, it seemed to be a fairly new building and it was currently packed with hundreds of hopeful heroes looking to get into UA. The realisation that so many people would be applying was a sobering thought indeed, and the knowledge that only 36 of the people in this room would be accepted was even more concerning.

"That's Present Mic! The Voice Hero! He has a radio show on Quirks that I listen to every day!" The sudden interruption by a student located somewhere behind me solved the mystery of who was addressing us at least, but the reply to his interruption was just as jarring.

"Shut the hell up Deku!" This second voice was almost as loud as Present Mic's, though it was filled with barely disguised anger.

I was confused about this exchange, it seemed that two of the students had already made enemies of each other. I wasn't sure about who they were or what had caused the latter's outburst, but I could only hope that I would be able to avoid whoever the latter student was, as such a loud and aggressive personality would surely grate on me.

Most of the students within the lecture hall just shrugged at this disruption and faced towards Present Mic again, who wore the same wide grin he had been toting since the start of the speech.

"Let me explain the task that you aspiring young heroes will be undertaking today!" He yelled, his voice seeming the reach every corner of the room without any difficulty "You will be conducting ten-minute urban battles against faux villains, who will be worth 1, 2 and 3 points."

This didn't sound too bad, my only concern was that I struggled to use my Quirk against groups of people, but at least I would be able to beat the high scorers fairly easily.

"And what are these faux villains I hear you ask?" Mic yelled, apparently unaware that nobody had asked a question like that aloud "In previous years we would use volunteers to give you a real-life challenge. But this year we have upgraded! We now use combat robots to provide a consistent challenge to all applicants."

_Shit_

The word 'Robots' rang around my head, in the space of a few seconds my prospects of passing this test went from decent to practically zero. I briefly debated walking out of the exam hall right there and then, but something compelled me to remain. Even though I knew that my chances were practically zero, I felt that I had to try and pass the exam, no matter how small my chances were.

Despite this resolve I was trying to muster, I couldn't help but feel that my prospects of being a hero had already been crushed. The sudden interruption by a tall student with a stern voice faded into the background of my mind. All of the comments I had heard in the past about my Quirk seemed to come to the forefront of my mind again, and above all else, one thought burned in my mind.

I'm so screwed.

* * *

The rest of the lecture from Present Mic seemed to pass me by nearly instantly, I was far too absorbed in my own worry to really pay attention to what he was saying. Though I did notice the picture of a giant robot that was being emphasised as an impassable obstacle in the trial, which only added to my woes.

We were then given a small piece of paper which denoted which battle zone we would be participating in, and we were then instructed to change into our sportswear and board busses that would take us to our battle zone. I walked down the corridors of UA towards the changing rooms, barely even registering the crowd around me. I was too busy trying to think of a way to take these robots down, but no matter what kind of strategy I came up with I always came to the same conclusion:

These robots were designed to test the strength of potential student's Quirks, and I would be essentially without a Quirk for this battle. There was no way I could beat these machines.

I was so absorbed by this fact that I barely even noticed when a large figure clad in black stepped in front of me. I only registered the figure when it spoke.

"Hitoshi Shinso?" He asked, I looked up to see an impassive face with tired eyes. Not giving me a chance to respond he turned around and started to walk down a deserted side corridor "Follow me."

After a second's hesitation I realised that this figure was likely a member of UA faculty, so I obeyed his command and rushed to catch up with him, unsure of exactly where I was headed.

* * *

After several minutes of silent walking we arrived at a small door that the teacher opened and entered, gesturing for me to follow him in. The interior of the room was a small office, nothing to indicate the illustrious status of a UA teacher was present in the room at all. The only notable feature of the office was a large desk in the centre, with a chair either side of the desk and a computer facing towards one of the chairs, which the teacher sat in.

"Sit." He said, gesturing to the other chair.

I sat down opposite him and waited for whatever it was that he wanted. Several awkward seconds passed before I finally spoke up.

"I'm not sure why I'm here but I need to know how long this is going to take? I have to take the practical entrance exam?" I said, hoping that I wasn't speaking out of turn at all.

"You're not going to take that exam." He murmured, sounding bored and exhausted "It's not like you have any chance of passing anyway."

Hearing that spoken out loud was like a punch in the gut, made all the worse by the fact that I knew he was right, I had just been in denial about that fact. Several more seconds passed again, and I found myself unable to meet my gaze in my embarrassment, so I just stared at the floor between my feet.

"I should introduce myself." The teacher said, catching my attention "My name is Shota Aizawa, I'm a teacher here at UA High."

"I'm…" he cut me off with a wave of his hand.

"I know who you are, I read your application from Middle School." He held up the file he was talking about "I admit, it caught my eye, it's the only reason you're sitting here right now."

My face inadvertently twisted into a look of mild curiosity, but I stayed quiet, sensing that he had more to say.

"Your teachers from Middle School describe you as 'Driven, intelligent and well rounded'. From what I can tell, you are just the kind of student we would want at UA, except for one thing. Your Quirk." He seemed to be gauging my response to what he had said, after seeing whatever he was looking for, he continued "If anything, this shows how irrational the acceptance process at UA is, it holds people back just because of their Quirk, even someone who would be an ideal student."

"Fortunately for you, UA allows a great deal of freedom in how it's teachers run their classes, including which students they want in their classes." He mumbled, blinking his tired eyes "I'm going to offer you an opportunity, but I need to be sure it's worth my time."

Aizawa's phrasing and general demeanour threw me off somewhat, as it was highly unusual to see somebody from UA's prestigious faculty act in such a bored and flippant manner. If I had been presented the scene in front of me without context, I would have assumed that I was dealing with some kind of bored government bureaucrat, not a Pro Hero that worked for UA. I found myself unsure of how to present myself to this strange man, as I didn't know how he would react.

In the end I nodded, but said nothing, as I was still unsure as to where he was headed with this.

"I can see that you have a powerful Quirk, but that's not all that matters." He said, putting away the file he was holding "Have you done any combat training?"

"No Sir." I replied, feeling that I was being accused of something "I've always just used my Quirk, I didn't see a need for combat training."

"I see, that wouldn't have done you any good today though." He said, a slight look of disappointment in his eyes "A good hero isn't a one trick pony, you need to be able to perform your heroic duties no matter what, so you can't rely on just your Quirk."

"I see, I'll keep that in mind Sir." I answered, keeping my voice as calm and level as possible. "What exactly is your proposition Sir?"

"I think you have potential, to that end I am offering you another chance to enter the Hero Course." He said, seemingly somewhat motivated for the first time. "UA's entrance exams take place earlier than most schools, so we have a little over 3 months before the term starts, that should be enough time."

"Enough time for what Sir?" I asked hesitantly, though something in my mind told me I already knew.

"I will put you through an intensive training course between now and the beginning of UA's first term. If you exceed my expectations and do well enough in this training I will grant you a space on the hero course."

The offer he had just given me stunned me into silence, it was everything I had ever wanted being offered to me, how could I not accept?

"You better wipe that look off your face." Aizawa said, a somewhat sadistic grin creeping along his face "This isn't going to be ordinary training, I will put you through hell every day for the next three months, and if you slack off or fail to meet my standards, I'll cut you from the course and find someone else. Don't take this lightly."

"What kind of training are you talking about?" I asked, slightly fearful of the warning I had just been given.

"Every kind you can think of." He answered, his face returning to his usual bored expression "You need to be fully capable of fighting villains without your Quirk, so we will be focusing on physical strength and technique, but you will undergo just about every type of training you can imagine."

"Your schedule won't be pleasant." He continued, reaching for a piece of paper and scribbling down what I assumed would be the timetable for the next few months of my life "We will start every day at 4AM until 8AM, once you have finished the school day we will training again from 4PM until 8PM. I will be setting you assignments to be done overnight as well, so don't expect to get to sleep before 10PM. We begin tomorrow as well, so I hope you didn't make any plans over the weekend."

I balked at this, but if it was my only chance of entering the hero course I knew I had no choice but to accept. In my mind I knew that a few months of hardship were worth the chance to become a hero, no matter how small that chance was.

"You're still here." He noted "Good, the fact you haven't walked out by now tells me that you at least have resolve. So, are you ready to accept this training?"

"Thank you for the offer Sir." I said, one small thought holding me back "But I need to know, why are you doing this for me?"

"Who knows?" He said, a slightly wistful look in his eyes "You know, when I applied to UA I had to fight robots I couldn't use my Quirk against as well, so I had to work my way up from General Studies to get to the Hero Course. Maybe that's why."

That surprised me as well, I didn't recognise Aizawa as a pro hero at all, and I realised I had no idea what his Quirk was. The implication of his words was clear enough though, and it wiped away the last few doubts I had about accepting his offer.

"Ok." I said, feeling a new determination in my mind "I accept your offer Mr. Aizawa. I promise I'll do my best to get through this training!"

"I'll need more than your best kid." He said, standing up to leave the room "But this is a start."

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Hello all, I hope you all enjoyed this first Chapter of Mind over Matter, a story which is essentially asking- What if Shinso was in Class 1A?_

_I'm not entirely sure what motivated me to make this story, but I do know that Shinso is one of my favourite characters in the show. I find his character to be really interesting, and his situation of being somebody with an 'evil' Quirk who wants to be a hero is a great conflict that could make him main character material, which is what I'm doing here._

_That said, the end of this chapter makes it clear that Shinso has a massive task ahead of him if he wants to make it to the Hero Course, and his training begins next chapter._

_Unfortunately, that does mean that somebody has to be rotated out of Class 1A. I did at first debate making the class 21 students but due to the fact that so many trials involve the characters pairing up that became a somewhat impractical solution._

_I did spend a good bit of time agonising over which character to remove, but I eventually landed on Sato. Mineta seemed like the obvious choice at first but that seemed a little bit too obvious, and I'm aware that this character does have his fans. Koda and Hagakure were also in the running but after reading a few too many UA Traitor theories I'm convinced it's one of those two, so removing them seemed a bit too risky. If Sato is revealed to be the traitor and then receives tonnes of developments making him one of the best characters in the show then I guess I'll have a lot of work to do, but he is currently the most uninteresting student in the class to me, and so he was rotated out._

_Though Shinso's appearances in the anime and manga have been fairly brief so far I'll try to stay as true to his character as I can. Though being in Class 1A from the start will obviously affect his development as a character, but I'll try to develop him in sensible ways, including conjuring up a backstory for him. Again, he had practically no backstory at the time this was written, so in the likely even that what I have written is contradicted later on, just remember I wrote this story before all that came to light._

_This story is going to be updated on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, so I'll see you all tomorrow for the next chapter._

_(Also, you can check out my other story, The Faceless Alchemist, if you are a FullMetal Alchemist fan. I've had issues with updating it recently, but normal updating will resume next week.)_


	2. Chapter 2- Training Begins

Chapter 2- Training Begins

* * *

The rest of the day after my encounter passed in a blur, and I left UA alongside the various students that had taken the entrance exam. I caught snippets of what had occurred during the exams, and though much of what I could hear was what I expected, such as how many robots each student had destroyed. Surprisingly, I overheard from one of the passengers that one student had destroyed the 0-point giant robot in a single punch. I shouldn't have been surprised that such powerful students existed, but while news like this would have disheartened me in the past, now it only motivated me more, and I knew that I would have to work even harder to keep up with students like that.

When I got home I relayed the day's events to my family, who were waiting anxiously to hear what had occurred during the practical exam. I explained as best I could that I had been given a better chance to enter the Hero Course, and that if I worked hard enough, I still had a chance to be a hero. My mother was hesitant to see me undergo such a harsh training regimen, but she reluctantly agreed as long as I assured her that my Middle School work would not be neglected. My younger Brother and Sister were just happy enough to hear that I still had a chance of being a hero, I certainly agreed with them on that point.

In truth, while I was presenting an optimistic front, I was uncertain of what exactly awaited me in the coming months. I was used to an academic system with a rigid and predictable structure, and while I was far from thrilled with several aspects of my time in Middle School, it was at least predictable and therefore easy to understand. In comparison, Aizawa and his training introduced an aspect of pure chaos and uncertainty into my life, and I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about that development. The sensible part of me felt wary about this change in my life, but a different part of myself was acting like a caged animal, desperate and excited to leap into the unknown, and I couldn't help but feel that same optimism, even as I sought to temper it with caution.

The rest of the day passed quickly enough, and I excused myself to bed early, knowing that it was likely the last chance I would get for a decent rest for the next few months. Sleep came quickly, because every cell of my body seemed to know what was in store for me tomorrow.

* * *

I woke up at 3:30AM the following day, and it took all the will I had to force myself awake. I tried to be as quiet as possible when getting ready for the first day of training, making sure that I wouldn't disturb everyone else in the house while I got ready. After preparing myself as best as I could I donned the sportswear I had been told to bring to UA yesterday, guessing that it would be just as useful for whatever physical training I would be undergoing.

I slipped out of my house as quickly and quietly as possible, worrying that if I spent a second longer inside I would lose the will to go through with the training. The sun had barely risen over Tokyo, and the streets were deserted apart from the few early morning workers making their way to their jobs. After a few seconds of standing outside my house I realised something, a detail so small yet important, and something I couldn't believe that I hadn't asked about yesterday.

Where the hell was I going?

I realised that Aizawa had never told me where my training was going to take place, only to meet him at a certain time today. This realisation stunned me for a few seconds, and I was left wondering what exactly I should do. After a moment's thought I figured that the best course of action was to head for UA, and I was just about to start jogging in that direction when I heard a voice above me.

"You aren't going to get anything worthwhile done just standing around." The voice said, speaking in a tired tone that I recognised rather quickly.

I looked up for the source of the voice and saw Mr. Aizawa sitting atop one of the lampposts that lined the street, as if that was one of the most normal things in the world to do. Indeed, I could see someone across the street who had doubtlessly come back from a night shift of work fixing a strange glance in Aizawa's direction, though they stopped short of actually saying anything.

As soon as I saw him he leapt from the post and landed right in front of me with cat-like agility, the speed and grace of the leap made me remember that I was dealing with a real pro hero, even if I didn't know who he was. Mr Aizawa looked as tired as he did yesterday, though I supposed that that was slightly more understandable today, given the time of day. He was wearing the same black outfit as yesterday, though he now wore some kind of bizarre scarf around his neck. He seemed to regard me for several seconds before speaking up again.

"You showed up, good." He muttered "I guess this might not be a complete waste of my time after all."

His phrasing seemed strange to me at first, but I assumed that he was testing my resolve, trying to dissuade me from the training I was set on. I suppose that mental strength is just as important as physical strength for heroes, and it seemed like Aizawa was intent on testing me for this quality as well. I knew that I would have to do my best to convince Aizawa of my commitment to the task he had set for me.

"I'm ready to start my training Sir." I said, doing my best to look determined through the tired expression I was undoubtedly wearing right now.

"We'll see about that." Aizawa said, a slightly sadistic grin on his face "You might not be saying that in a few hours."

"Of course, Sir." I said, waiting for several seconds before asking the question when it became clear that Aizawa wasn't going to answer it himself "So where is the training centre then?

"Well…" Aizawa turned and pointed down the road my house sat on "It's about 8 miles in that direction."

"I see." I whispered, a sinking feeling developing in the pit of my stomach as I realised what Aizawa was going to say. I asked the question I already knew the answer to, perhaps in the slim hope that the first day of training would be merciful "And how are we going to get to the centre Sir?"

"You are going to run the whole way, I expect you there in 2 hours." He said, confirming my suspicions "That's a fairly forgiving pace, as long as you keep yourself consistent, you should have no trouble reaching this goal."

I was stunned into silence, so I didn't have the wits to reply to the task he had set for me.

"Also, you need to wear this." He muttered, producing a small silver bracelet from his pocket and handing it to me "This lets me track your progress, so I'll know if you decide to cut corners by taking the bullet train."

I numbly slipped the bracelet on, my mind desperately trying to figure out a way to complete the task I had been set.

"There's a place to get water about half way down your route, I'd recommend stopping there if you must." Without waiting for a reply, Aizawa leapt atop the lamppost before looking back down towards me "Good luck, if you don't make the goal I've set you then I'll kick you out, I have no time for people with no potential."

With that last proclamation Aizawa jumped away, leaping at astonishing speeds across rooftops before disappearing out of sight, leaving me alone with the task I had been set.

The warning he had given me was shocking, but I knew that it wasn't an idle threat, from what I had seen of Aizawa so far he was perfectly happy to kick out students that didn't meet his standards, and it seemed that I would be the latest to be expelled if I missed the goal he had set me.

I knew that it was an achievable goal if I was in good physical shape, and while I wasn't unfit by most definitions, I knew that I had been neglecting physical training in favour of my Quirk. It seemed that Aizawa had realised this as well, and so he sought to remedy this weakness.

With blind panic flashing in my mind I began sprinting as quickly as I could in the direction that Aizawa had pointed towards. Adrenaline propelled me forwards, the fear that my opportunity to become a hero could disappear as quickly as it had arrived was a terrifying thought, and I raced as quickly as I could to avoid that fate.

I realised the error of my actions very quickly, as soon as the adrenaline in my veins began to wear out I was left gasping for air, coming to a complete stop after about only half a mile. While I had made good time, I knew that I wouldn't be able to make such a punishing run again, and if I was constantly stopping then I would run out of time far too quickly.

While I was recovering I tried to remember everything my Athletics teacher had taught me in Middle School about long-distance running. Doing my best to draw on what I could remember, I moved forwards at the steadiest pace I could manage, hoping that I would still make my goal in time.

My movements were slow and jerky at first, but I did everything I could to build my pace until I was making my way through the streets at a steady jog. I did everything I could to keep pace and regulate my breathing, and I found myself crossing the city at a surprisingly rapid pace.

After about an hour, I reached the halfway point that Aizawa had mentioned, and while resting there for a few seconds I noticed several people walking down the road past me, it took me a moment to remember who they were, but I recognised them as students from my old Middle School. We had only talked a few times, but I remembered what they had said to me when the class was discussing Quirks.

'That's the perfect Quirk for a villain.'

'I can't imagine a Quirk like that being used by a hero.'

'Just promise you won't use it on me.'

Though I thought I did a good enough job of hiding my reaction, those words had cut deep, deeper than I would like to admit. The last remark was particularly biting, as that was the moment that I realised that most of my class were scared of me, or at least scared of my Quirk. Most people left me alone after hearing about my Quirk, which suited me well enough at the time, but only after seeing those people again did I realise how much it had bothered me.

As they walked past me I felt a strange sense of calm, like something that had been bothering me before had been put to rest. Despite what other people had said to me, I knew that I could be a hero! I had a chance to be a hero right in front of me, and I would move towards that chance, no matter how difficult it was.

With a new sense of determination that I didn't even know I had, I set off again, and though I was careful to keep pace, I moved forwards with every scrap of willpower I could muster. My body screamed in protest, but I ignored the pain that was coursing through me, now I was set on achieving my goal, I will complete the challenge Mr Aizawa set me!

The rest of my run passed into a blur, my legs seemed to move forwards of their own accord, and I put all of the energy I had into ensuring that I kept moving forwards. I couldn't remember the last time I was this exhausted, and I realised that this was going to be how my next few months played out, and while that was a terrifying prospect, the reward that lay at the end of that long path would make it all worth it,

After what must have been another hour of running I turned a corner to see the training centre that must have been my goal. I was thankful for the few bystanders that were able to direct me in the right direction, because I would have surely gotten lost without their assistance.

The last clock I had seen told me I had only a few minutes left, but my exhaustion prevented me from remembering how long ago that was, so I could only hope I had time left. My vision was completely tunnelled in on the front door of the centre, and as I finished the final stretch I reached for the door; hoping that, against all odds, I had made it in time.

* * *

With only a few minutes to spare, I burst through the door of the training centre to see Aizawa, who was sitting in one of the chairs that filled the otherwise empty entry lobby. Strangely, Aizawa was enveloped in what I realised was some kind of bright yellow sleeping bag, and he was slumped over asleep!

For the second time today, I found myself questioning the normalcy of my situation, as well as the behaviour of the man who was training me. Though I wasn't really a stickler for professionalism (in face it could quite easily irritate me) the demeanour of Aizawa was fairly strange in how casual and flippant he was, and I wondered exactly how this man had landed himself a job at UA High. This last thought was compounded by the fact that I still didn't know Aizawa's identity as a Pro Hero, though I was being constantly harassed by a slight sense of recognition at certain moments.

After taking a minute to catch my breath I wondered idly how exactly I would go about waking Aizawa up, he seemed to be somebody quite committed to sleep, and I didn't want to annoy or anger him by waking him up. That said, I also didn't like the idea of missing my goal, the last few seconds of which were steadily ticking away as I wondered how I would wake the sleeping teacher up.

I was still pondering this as the last few seconds of my goal slipped away, and as the clock on the wall of the turned over to the next hour I watched in agony as my time ran out.

The sound of some kind of alarm clock ringing from the inside of Aizawa's sleeping bag shocked me far more than it should have, a feeling which was compounded by the fact that Aizawa then woke up and looked up at me, apparently not finding this situation strange at all.

"You made your goal." Aizawa murmured, pausing to yawn before continuing "Good, the first part of today's training is complete. Take a few minute's rest here then meet me in the main training room."

In one fluid movement Aizawa stepped out of the sleeping bag and walked towards one of the doors that led into the training centre, acting like this whole bizarre encounter was totally normal.

I didn't really have the energy to question Aizawa's strange behaviour, so I took the few minutes of rest I had been given, knowing full well that I would be needing them.

* * *

The training room I met Aizawa in was more of a large hall, reminding me of the gym in my Middle School, albeit on a much grander scale. The various markings on the ground showed me that the hall could be used for a variety of different tasks and exercises, and I had no doubt that I would become well acquainted with most of them over the coming months.

Aizawa stood in the centre of the hall, currently preoccupied with some kind of compact tablet that he was staring intently at. When he saw me enter the hall he looked straight at me, spreading his arms out to gesture to the hall.

"This whole Centre is one of UA's off-campus training grounds, it's usually used by students practicing for one reason or another." He said, "Fortunately for you, final exams are underway, so this facility is available until the next year starts."

I looked around the room, only now noticing the various scorch marks and cracks in the walls that must have been caused by student's Quirks. These constant reminders of power from UA students hammered home how hard I would have to work to keep up with them if I wanted to make it in the Hero Course. Still, it was always daunting to see such destructive Quirks at work.

"It's clear to me that your physical fitness isn't as good as it should be, if you entered the Hero Course in your current state you wouldn't even make it through the first term." Aizawa said this all with his usual tired expression "It's clear you've come to rely far too much on your Quirk, but that won't cut it anymore."

I didn't say anything to interrupt Aizawa's speech, figuring that it was something that I needed to hear.

"Your Quirk is strong, but it relies entirely on your opponent engaging with your Quirk." He said this while starting straight at me, and I was caught off guard by the intensity of his expression "This means that any of your battles will either be an instant win or an instant loss, depending on your Quirk. This isn't acceptable, as a Pro Hero, you'll need to be able to win no matter what, that is what you're training for."

He was right, looking back, I wondered how exactly I had got myself into a situation where I had become so reliant on my Quirk. I knew that this training would help me, but I was only realising now how much I really needed that help.

"The first part of your training will rely on physical fitness and strength, and the first part of that will be building your endurance." Aizawa gestured to the running track around the edge of the hall "You will run laps around that track for half an hour at a time, you get a five-minute break, then repeat again."

I hadn't realised that the entire day's training would be running, my legs still burned from my morning exercise, and I wasn't sure if I would be capable of completing the training, but I was determined to try.

"As it's a Sunday, we will be training all day, though I will give you an hour's break in the middle." Aizawa made his way to a chair in the corner of the hall "Be sure to pace yourself, it's more important to last all day than to cram in as many laps as possible."

With that last piece of advice, I began the training that would take up the rest of the day.

I had learned from my morning run, and I took care to avoid going too quickly straight away. Despite this I still struggled with pacing, as well as the exhaustion that only built as the day progressed. I savoured all of my breaks, though they were far too brief for my liking.

The midday training was totally agonising, and there were several times where I considered giving in. Only my motivation kept me going, the opportunity to become a hero lay in front of me, and I would work towards that goal with all the energy I had.

Despite this, I was on the verge of collapse during the sixth session of the day, and I admit I almost keeled over when Aizawa called out to me.

"That's time for now! Get some food somewhere and be back in an hour." Aizawa called out, not even looking up from his tablet.

That was all the encouragement I needed, and I shakily made my way out of the training centre, doing everything I could to avoid thinking of my afternoon exercises.

* * *

The afternoon training session progressed very similarly to the morning one, with Aizawa having me run laps of the training centre for half an hour, before a few minutes rest, then repeating the exercise. The training was as exhausting as it was this morning, and I doubted that I would ever grow accustomed to such intense exercise. At the very least I had learned to pace myself better, so I was able to maintain a higher level of activity for a longer period of time, though I still found myself almost collapsing on several occasions.

The fact that this was only the starting exercise of my training was troubling as well, and I couldn't even bear to imagine what else Aizawa had in store for me in the future. For the moment I did my best to clear my mind of thoughts like that, I was doing this training no matter what, so it was best that I just got on with it.

"Time." Aizawa called, bringing me to a stop.

Though I wanted nothing more than to collapse on the ground right there and then, Aizawa insisted that I performed several exercises to warm down, telling me that I would thank him for such advice tomorrow morning. After concluding my exercises and changing into the spare clothes I had brought with me I went to leave the training centre to head home, only to be stopped by Aizawa, who said he wished to talk to me.

He led me to some kind of rooftop plaza at the top of the training centre. The whole plaza was bather by the light of Tokyo at night, and the darkened city skyline was a peaceful view indeed. Aizawa, as usual, was silent for a long period of time before speaking up.

"You did well enough today." He said, not really putting any emotion into his advice.

I didn't take offence at the backhanded compliment, that seemed to be his way of motivating me.

"It's a start." I replied, "I hope I can do enough to pass this training."

"You're here." He said, "That's the first step."

There were several more seconds of silence, and I was left wondering what exactly Aizawa wanted to talk to me about. I was about to ask him when he spoke up again.

"There was something I didn't make clear yesterday." He muttered, looking over the dark landscape.

"What's that, Sir?" I asked, unsure of what bombshell he was going to drop on me, though I was half expecting more training.

"The training I'm going to give you, provided you pass, will mold you into a certain kind of hero." He said, "You lack an offensively powerful Quirk, so you'll have to act like me and fight a certain way."

I realised I still had no idea what Aizawa's Quirk was or what his Pro identity was, but he seemed to be in the middle of a spiel right now, so I didn't interrupt.

"The style I'm talking about isn't glamorous or flashy, I'm talking about ambushes, sneak attacks, tool and weapon usage. Your Quirk won't help you in a straight fight, so you'll be at a disadvantage against villains with a powerful Quirk. To win, you'll have to seize every advantage you can get, so that means fighting dirty." He murmured, still looking out towards the dark cityscape "Forget about being the next All Might, because that won't happen when you fight like this. If you just want to be a famous hero you should find a different teacher."

I considered his words for a long time, what he said all made perfect sense, but it was still strange to hear my thoughts being confirmed out loud. I weighed up what he had said for a while before finally replying.

"That's fine by me. I want to be a hero, but I don't care about fame or notoriety" I said, my voice filled with an unexpected determination "Besides, the less people know about my Quirk, the more effective it will be."

That seemed to be what Aizawa wanted to hear, and after a few moments he dismissed me, though not without giving me a warning that tomorrow's training would be even more intense that today. I didn't doubt his dire warning for even a second, but it didn't worry me anymore, in my mind it was just another obstacle on the path to becoming a hero, no matter what.

* * *

_Shota Aizawa made his way back to UA, far more exhausted than usual after the first day training Hitoshi Shinso. He wasn't quite sure why he put himself through extra work just for the sake of a student he barely knew, he didn't have any obligation to the kid. And yet he had signed himself up for much less sleep than he would have liked for the next few months, just to train a prospective student._

_He didn't care to think of the reasons for his actions, but nonetheless he found himself pondering why he had put himself in this situation. He was often accused of being cold and uncaring towards his students, and indeed, he was notorious for having expelled his entire homeroom class a few years ago. He always said that the students he had expelled lacked potential, and he stood by that decision, no matter what the other members of the faculty said. _

_He supposed that that was the reason for his training of Shinso, despite his currently untrained state, Aizawa could see that the kid had potential, no matter how hidden it was currently._

_"Aizawa." He heard a small voice behind him, and he turned to see the Principal of UA standing in the corridors behind him, an expectant look on his face "Could I have a word with you?"_

_Aizawa just shrugged and followed the diminutive Principal, wondering exactly what it was that he was being bothered for._

_When the pair reached the Principal's office, they sat opposite each other, and Aizawa found himself in the odd position of being talked to like a student._

_"I saw your request you posted to me yesterday." Nezu said in his endlessly upbeat voice "And I must say it's one of the more unusual requests I've received lately. You say that you want me to hold open a space in the Hero Course?"_

_"Yes Sir." Aizawa mumbled, adopting a slightly more formal pose and tone than usual for the sake of formality._

_"May I ask why?" Nezu asked, sipping from an every-present cup of tea "As you know, places on the Hero Course are in very high demand, it's unheard of for a space to go unfilled."_

_"Hitoshi Shinso." Aizawa replied by way of an explanation._

_"The student with the 'Brainwashing' Quirk." Nezu muttered, his instant recollection somewhat shocked Aizawa, though he knew that he shouldn't be surprised by Nezu's intelligence "The same student that failed to show up for the Practical Entrance Exam. What does he have to do with this?"_

_"He shows potential." Aizawa said "Besides, we both know that he would have had no chance in that entrance exam. I did say last year how irrational some of our entrance procedures are."_

_"I am aware, but we have yet to invent a perfect exam that can take some many different Quirks into account." Retorted Nezu, his voice still as upbeat as ever "Still, it's unusual to hear you speaking about a prospective student in such a way Aizawa. You must have seen something in this student to give him any of your time."_

_Aizawa couldn't help but feel that he was being interrogated by his employer, and while this was a fairly frequent occurrence with Nezu, it still wasn't one that Aizawa relished. Besides, there was always the creeping feeling that Nezu already knew everything that he was asking about, and that he was merely conducting the questioning to test his frightening intellect. Honestly, Nezu still put Aizawa on edge._

_"He has potential." Shrugged Aizawa "More than a lot of students I see. If he gets through the training I've given him, I have no doubt he will do well in the Hero Course."_

_"I see." Replied Nezu, remaining in silent contemplation for several seconds before replying "Very well, I trust your judgement in this matter Aizawa, so I'll grant your request. If this student passes your tests then he will be granted a space on the Hero Course; if he doesn't, then it's your responsibility to fill that space, we can't afford to go easy when training the heroes of tomorrow."_

_"Of course, Sir, thank you for granting my request." Aizawa bowed as a sign of respect, before making to leave the room._

_"I suppose he's a little like you in a way." Nezu noted idly, seeming to be speaking mostly to himself, Aizawa still paused though "You both have Quirks that meshed poorly with our entrance exams, but you had the skills to back up your Quirk. I guess you're hoping to mold young Shinso in the same way."_

_Aizawa didn't reply to that last remark, he just nodded and left the room, intent on catching up on the sleep he had lost this morning._

* * *

_Author's Note_

_I'll try and keep my ramblings a bit briefer this time around, but there are a few things I'd like to say._

_First of all, I'd like to thank everybody who read, followed, favourited and reviewed the first chapter of this story. The rate of growth was kind of surprising, but it made sense when I realised that the My Hero Academia category is certainly more active than FullMetal Alchemist. Thank you all for your support, it was a great motivator._

_I'd also like to answer some reviews, as they raised some good questions:_

_Guest: Thank you, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!_

_Raven Mordrake: That's a great design for Shinso's costume, I did have one in mind, but it is very similar to what you linked to (here's the link for the curious: /p/movies1master/2088293497749060665_1549208284). On the subject of Flashbangs and Smoke Bombs, I addressed it a little in this chapter but in a few chapters I'll make it clear that Shinso's fighting style very much relies on confusing his opponents and 'fighting dirty' so things like that will come into play. Thank you for your contributions!_

_Alexanderjuarez499: In canon I think Shinso was more than a little resentful of the Hero Course students, and this likely contributed to his attitude towards them. Due to the events of this fic he will develop a little differently, so he will likely be a little bit more open and friendly with his classmates. That said, he is quite a quiet and reserved character, and that's a core part of his personality, so that won't change. On the subject of romance/pairings… I have no idea. I had no plans for something like that, but I guess I won't rule it out either, I'll see in the future._

_Evergone the Great: Thanks for the corrections, I was mainly writing from memory, so I'm not surprised that a few details got messed up (and the last point was a typo on my part). I've corrected them now, so thank you for the feedback, guess I'll be re-watching the show!_

_That's all, see you Sunday for Chapter 3- Combat Training!_


	3. Chapter 3- Combat Training

Chapter 3- Combat Training

* * *

The next month of training was as intense and unforgiving as Aizawa had promised, perhaps even worse than I had originally thought. Every single day seemed to bring some new kind of physical agony, with my body seemingly being pushed beyond its limits every day. Mr. Aizawa was relentless in his quest to push me forwards, and though he was unforgiving, his constant presence served as a reminder of the standards of a pro hero, and this only pushed me further.

Every day started the same, it turned out that the 8-mile run to the Training Centre wasn't just a first-day thing, I was expected to perform the run every day. Once I had made it to the Centre, I was given a list of exercises to perform for the remainder of the morning session; though the content of the exercises was constantly changing, they were always brutal in how much strain that they would put me and my body through. Although I would always walk away feeling somewhat elated at my progress since the start of the training regime.

Once I had returned from school (I was thankfully permitted to take the bus to and from school) the afternoon exercises would begin. These exercises seemed to focus more on endurance and long-term exercise, performing these tasks would increase my stamina, allowing me to fight and perform heroic duties for longer periods of time.

True to his word, Aizawa also set me tasks and exercises to perform while I was at home, either during the evenings, or some minor training to be done on my rare days off.

Though he often seemed distracted or disinterested, I slowly began to realise just how attentive Aizawa must be. While his training program was brutal in the extreme, it was designed in such a way that I would never work one part of my body much harder than any of the others. As well as that, if I ever suffered an injury, I noticed that he would subtly alter the training program for the next few days to ensure that the injured body part would get rested enough to heal. This action was a reminder that Aizawa was always paying attention to my training and progression, even if he usually seemed uninterested or bored by the events going on around him.

I suppose I also got used to Aizawa's personality a little more, when I first met him it seemed like he was wishing for me to fail his tests, just so he wouldn't have to bother getting up to train me every day. But after a few weeks I realised that he was much more engaged with the training than I had realised, the comments he made after every session were always helpful and insightful, showing me that he had been paying attention. As well as this, though he rarely praised my efforts, he did make it clear that he was impressed with my progress.

So was I, though it took me a while to notice how far I had come in such a short time. I wasn't out of shape to begin with, but the past month of training had strengthened my body to a great degree. Every day the exercises seemed to go past a little easier, and my strength and stamina had improved far beyond what I thought was possible. It seemed that I was able to push myself past greater boundaries every day, and I was excited to see how far I would progress after more time training.

So, when I started the 35th day of my training by running towards the training centre, it was with enthusiasm in my mind. I had broken my record time for the morning run again, and I didn't need nearly as much time to recover as I had before. I took a few moments to catch my breath before walking towards the main training hall I had become accustomed to, wondering what today had in store for me.

* * *

When I entered the main training hall I saw Aizawa standing in the centre of the room, surrounded by several large blue floor mats that I hadn't seen before. I wondered what exactly Aizawa had in store for me today, though I was certain that it would be something intense. Then again, that seemed to be the new standard for my life lately.

"Good morning Sir." I bowed, catching Aizawa's attention "What training is in store for me today?"

"You have done well on your physical training." Aizawa turned to face me, revealing his consistently tired expression "It's time to begin the next phase of your training, combat exercises."

That was a surprise, though I knew that heroes would be expected to fight villains, I was expecting training like this to take place in the later years of UA, not before I even started!

"Won't I be taught that at UA sir?" I asked.

"Normally, yes." Aizawa replied "But as we've discussed, you need to get every advantage you can to beat villains, and combat training will give you another edge over your opponents."

"But Sir!" I protested, shocked at what he was proposing "Do any other Students have this kind of training."

"No, but you will need it to keep up with them." Aizawa paused, reaching for a piece of paper in his pocket "I've reviewed the list of the UA students who passed the exam, you should know what their Quirks are, so you know what you're up against."

Aizawa let that statement hang in the air for a few seconds before looking down to the list he held.

"One student can produce explosions from the palms of his hand, another has control over ice _and _fire, another produces acid, and another can release over 1 million volts of electricity." Aizawa smiled his sadistic grin again "In order to keep up with students with such destructive power you will need every piece of training and experience you can get. If you can't handle that, then you know where the door is."

I contemplated his words, the idea of students with such powerful and destructive Quirks worried me greatly, and I knew I would fall behind them if all I had was my Quirk. I would need to be far more skilled than any of my classmates if I was to keep up with them. Decision made, I looked up to Aizawa.

"I'm ready." I said, my voice once again filled with determination "Let's do it."

The next few hours were about as agonising as I had expected, if not more so. The session mainly consisted of Aizawa explaining some kind of technique or move to me, and then demonstrating it, which generally resulted in me being struck or thrown in some way. After only an hour or so I felt completely disoriented, and I had dozens of aches across my body where I had been struck or thrown particularly hard.

Despite how brutal this method of teaching was, it certainly got the point across on how effective these techniques were, and I made sure to commit every single one of them to memory. Aizawa said that we would start with the simplest techniques, and we would gradually work our way up until I could learn advanced techniques.

This first session was broken into many smaller sessions, each one would involve Aizawa explaining a move or technique to me, before demonstrating it to me. I would then spend time practising the move for myself, repeating the motion until I was fully comfortable using the technique.

Aizawa would then tell me of the practical applications of the move I had just learned and give me several scenarios in which that technique would be useful. After that we would move on to another technique, repeating the whole process again.

Throughout the day Aizawa would suddenly and randomly test me on what I had learned, calling me to recall a technique from earlier in the day, and then having me perform it and explain its uses. This cycle of learning and repetition ensured that my mind was being exercised as well as my body, and it ensured that I focused on his lessons, as failing to correctly recall a technique would result in Aizawa demonstrating the technique on me.

Though I was already aware of it, this session made me realise how much of a 'sink or swim' teacher Aizawa was, as he seemed to expect me to do well in any exercise he set me straight away. Although I had grown used to his method of teaching, I did wonder if such harsh training was needed. The results of this training did speak for themselves though, and even in this one session, I seemed to progress at an incredible pace.

In a way, I feared for whoever it was Aizawa taught at UA, I had no idea who it was that he taught, but his demeanour and high standards led me to believe that he taught a higher grade. I felt sorry for his future students, as they would likely struggle with his methods like I had.

Despite these concerns, I pushed them aside for now, focusing entirely on my training.

* * *

Once Aizawa had allowed me an hour's break in the middle of the day, I made my way to a ramen shop I had become well acquainted with since I had begun my training. The food wasn't especially good, but the fast service and proximity to the training centre made it an ideal location for maximising how much rest I could get in between sessions.

Once I ordered my food I sat down and flicked through the internet, gaining whatever information I could on basic close combat techniques. After a few minutes I saw a shadow appear over my table, and, assuming it was my food arriving, I looked up to face the shadow.

The fact that looked back at me was one that I hadn't seen in a few months, and it was thoroughly unpleasant to see it again. The person that stood over me was Kashin Koto, a student from my Middle School. He was the kind of person who did his best to make everyone around him thoroughly miserable, and although I wasn't one of his favourite targets, he still had no issues with irritating me whenever he wanted.

"Hitoshi Shinso, the Brainwasher." Koto glared down at me before throwing a glance back to two other students that accompanied him, cronies of his who's names I had never bothered to remember "What brings somebody like you to a place like this? I'm pretty sure this place wouldn't serve a creep like you."

"Don't you have anything better to do than bother me?" I replied, doing my best to sound disinterested, which I was. I didn't bother to activate my Brainwashing Quirk, as being caught by anybody using my Quirk like that would surely get me kicked out of Aizawa's course.

"I was just wondering how your High School search was going." He chuckled "I guess you've finally given up on that stupid dream of being a hero."

"Not exactly." I retorted "I've got the chance to go to the Hero Course at UA, so I guess I'll be a hero after all."

This seemed to throw Koto off of his stride for a second, but as usual, he was quick to respond in the dumbest way possible.

"Bullshit." He spat, chuckling with his cronies "As if a place like UA would let someone like you in."

I didn't respond to that, so Koto just kept talking.

"I've gotten into Tonaru Academy, so I guess I'll have more success than you." Koto leant towards me "If I were you, I'd become a villain as quickly as possible; that way, you have a few years before I become a hero and take you down."

With that last insult, Koto and his two followers walked out, leaving me alone. My ramen arrived a few seconds later, and I was left staring into the dish, stuck with my own thoughts. I was used to people acting like that towards me, but for some reason Koto's words seemed to echo in my mind, and they dredged up memories of all the other times that people had said things like that towards me.

I tried my best to shake the memories from my mind, but they echoed through my head all that way through my break, and they persisted even as I re-entered the training centre, clouding my mind with doubt and anger.

* * *

The afternoon session, as expected, was just as brutal as the morning one, but at least I had some time to rest before resuming my training. The energy from my rest was quickly expended, but I had grown accustomed to going past all my limits, and so I kept pushing onwards.

My encounter at the ramen shop had frustrated me more than I had realised, but I tried my best to channel my anger into my training, hoping to gain some positive results. I usually had no issue with people insulting me or my Quirk, I'd grown accustomed to it, and I thought it didn't really bother me anymore. But for some reason, today's encounter really frustrated me, and I couldn't help but feel anger coursing through my body.

I guessed my frustration stemmed from the recent change in my life, the fact that I was receiving lessons from a UA teacher, the fact that I had a chance to enter the Hero Course, all of this had built me up, pushing me to the point that I felt indestructible. But this encounter felt like a harsh reality check, and although nothing had really changed in my life, to be reminded of my own shortcomings and doubts in such a harsh way was agonising.

I suddenly felt like everything I had gone through over the last month was nothing more than a pipe dream, as if Aizawa would suddenly turn around one day and tell me that everything was simply some kind of joke or trick, before kicking me out for a more worthy student. I tried to tell myself that this fear was irrational, and that I had an opportunity right in front of me that I couldn't afford to miss. Despite this self-assurance, my mood continued to spiral downwards, and by the time I had returned to the training centre, I had to concentrate to stop my hands from shaking, lest anyone notice my emotional state.

The afternoon session focused more on basic physical strikes, and I channelled my aggression and frustration into my strikes against the padded gloves that Aizawa held up. For a while, this was enough, and repeatedly pummelling the gloves released some of the anger that was boiling up inside me.

But I couldn't help but grow frustrated again, and I pushed even more power into my strikes, intent on attacking until I had finally managed to calm down. I didn't even realise at first, but I started shouting cries of anger each time I threw a punch and a kick, and my throat soon grew hoarse with the grunts of aggression.

Aizawa took a step backwards, and I instinctively followed up, jumping forwards and delivering a leaping strike towards the glove that Aizawa held up. Before I even realised the glove was pulled away, and I saw Aizawa slide out of the way, pushing his other hand into my back to increase my forwards momentum.

With nothing to stop me I flew past Aizawa and lost control, landing in a crumpled mess on the blue mats. I didn't move at first, instead I was desperately gasping for air, only just realising how out of breath my relentless assault had made me.

"You're wide open." Aizawa muttered, and I heard him pace towards me "Attacking like a rabid beast won't do you any good."

I rolled onto my back to see Aizawa stand above me, holding a hand towards me. After I few seconds I took the offered hand, and was pulled to my feet by the teacher, who looked me in the eye with an irate expression.

"What's gotten into your head?" He asked, though it sounded more like a statement "Aggression like that isn't like you."

I was about to unleash all of my frustration, to go into a tirade about everything that was angering me. But the stern look I received from Aizawa took all of the fight out of me, and I was left feeling deflated. How could I have been so stupid?

"I…" I stammered, desperately searching for words that seemed to have deserted me "Why do you even want a student like me? You've had to teach me everything, and I have a Quirk best suited for a villain, what kind of hero would I be?"

I didn't realise how lost I felt until I said everything aloud, and then everything seemed to fall into place. Suddenly, everything I had done over the past month seemed like a total joke, as if someone with my power could ever be a hero. I could train all I wanted, but that wouldn't change who I was, and what I was was somebody with an evil Quirk. I felt like Aizawa had simply taken pity on me, and he would likely cut me loose soon enough, there was never any chance for me to become a hero, he was probably just letting me down gently.

With all these thoughts swimming through my mind, I turned to walk out of the training centre, intent on leaving this pointless charade right away.

"Thank you for your time Mr. Aizawa." I whispered, trying and failing to hide the sadness in my voice. "But I know I never had a chance of being a hero, I'm sure you can find a more deserving student."

I paced away, now letting tears flow freely down my face as soon as I was certain that Aizawa couldn't see my face.

"Don't be so stupid." Aizawa said, his voice carrying a rare energy that I hadn't heard from him before "If you really think any of that is true, you're even more naïve than I thought."

Though the insult stung, the meaning behind his words made me pause, briefly stuck in two minds.

"You've pushed yourself harder than anyone I've seen in a long time." Aizawa said again, and I could hear him walking towards me "I've never seen somebody your age so determined, and to advance so quickly is another sign of how hard you have worked to be here."

Each and every one of his words seemed to cut through the dark haze in my mind, shocking me with such open praise.

"There's nobody that deserves the chance to be a hero more than you Shinso." Aizawa said, laying one of his hands on my shoulder "And I'm honoured to have taken you this far."

That last remark was enough to send me over the edge, and I collapsed to the ground, stuck in a bizarre mixture of laughter and tears. After what was surely a few minutes, I finally stopped, feeling emotionally exhausted.

"Thank you Sir." I dipped my head in respect, not being able to manage a full bow "I'm honoured you chose me as your student."

"Now, go get cleaned up and be back here in five minutes." Aizawa said, returning to his usual tired tone "And no more of this 'evil Quirk' nonsense, power isn't good or evil, that's decided by the user."

His words encouraged me and let me block away the last of the doubts that we suffocating my mind, letting me think clearly again. I felt more than a little embarrassed by how I had acted, but Aizawa's words gave me the encouragement I needed, and I pushed myself to my feet, intent on putting even more work into my training.

My doubts were still there, but they were quieter now, overshadowed by the renewed determination I felt in my mind. Some part of me knew that I would always carry these doubts with me, and that all people dealt with this kind of hardship one way or another. I now knew that I had to push past these doubts, and channel my energy in more positive ways.

* * *

I returned to my training with renewed vigour, attack the targets that Aizawa held with focused and measured strikes, being careful to attack with as much force as possible while doing my best not to overextend myself. The repetition of the exercise was helpful, it allowed me to focus entirely on my exercises, forcing the doubts that still lingered in my thoughts to the back of my mind.

Aizawa was mostly silent during this training, only occasionally speaking up to correct my form or offering some other kind of advice. In between strikes I would occasionally notice the way he was regarding my technique; his expression was almost… nostalgic? I had noticed Aizawa acting like this on several occasions, and though I wished to ask him more questions about his time as a UA student and a Pro Hero, it never seemed like the right time.

By the time Aizawa called this exercise to an end, my knuckles throbbed with the stress of so many repeated impacts, and my legs ached with the effort of performing so many kicks. Despite this pain, when Aizawa announced we would return to practising combat techniques, I couldn't help but grin. The constant flow of adrenaline had removed a lot of the exhaustion I should have been feeling, and although I knew it would return later, all I could feel was anticipation towards whatever kind of training I would be undergoing.

After even more time spent practising basic techniques, Aizawa finally called the session to a close. I collapsed to the ground, panting and wheezing while turning to nurse several bruises simultaneously. Aizawa seemed no more tired than usual and walked off at his usual pace, seemingly unaffected by the last few hours he had spent throwing me around.

"Come meet me in the lobby when you're rested, we aren't done yet." Aizawa muttered, walking away with his hands in his pockets.

Though I dreaded whatever it was Aizawa had in store for me, I was mostly just glad for the few moments of rest, and I did my best to recover as quickly and effectively as I could. When I felt that I was capable of moving again I went to meet Aizawa, hoping that he didn't have some other horrific training in store for me.

I saw Aizawa sat at one of the chairs in the lobby, a small pile of books sitting on the chair opposite him. When he saw that I had arrived he gestured for me to sit opposite him, and he waited for me to do so before saying anything.

"I'll admit, I'm impressed by your progress so far." Aizawa said, his honest praise catching me slightly off guard, though I attributed it to this afternoon's events "You still have a long way to go, but your improvement from where you were a month ago is something to be proud of."

"Thank you Sir." I dipped my head in respect "It wouldn't have been possible without your help."

"Combat training will be your focus from now on, though it takes years to become adept with all of the techniques I will teach you, this training will give you a solid grounding." Aizawa said, sitting back in a relaxed posture that I instinctively mirrored "To make room for this in your schedule, your physical training time will have to be reduced."

"Couldn't that put me back where I started?" I asked, concerned that I would lose all of the progress I had made in my physical fitness.

"That shouldn't be an issue. Though your training will be reduced, it won't be stopped, and the exercises I'll set you are designed to maintain your current level of fitness." Aizawa said this all without pause, seemingly having planned this conversation out beforehand "Besides, you don't want to bulk up too much, the techniques I'll be teaching you require a lot of agility, so you don't want to be restricted by having too much muscle."

"I see." I replied, Aizawa's reasoning did make sense, and I was glad he had taken everything into consideration.

"I think it's about time we talk about training your Quirk." Aizawa said, gesturing a hand towards me "Quirks are just like physical muscles, they need to be used to stay in perfect shape. There's a lot I don't know about your Quirk, so why don't you start by explaining it as best you can."

"As you know, my Quirk is called Brainwashing." I said, trying to be as concise as possible "Basically, anybody who replies to something I say aloud is put under my control. Though it's not every sentence, it only happens when I want it to."

"I see, how far does your control extend?" Aizawa asked, seemingly focused entirely on what I was saying.

"It's mainly physical actions." I replied "I can't make people say anything or use their Quirks. Though I can generally make people deactivate their Quirks if they are using it at the time."

Aizawa just nodded, silently asking for more details.

"I'm not too sure on a lot of the details, but it seems that a decently strong physical blow is enough to knock somebody out of my hold; but other than that, it holds as long as I want it too, though it does get harder to hold my Quirk for a long time." I wondered what else to say before continuing "Also, I think I can control multiple people, but it's incredibly difficult, the highest I got was 4 and that only lasted a few seconds before I passed out."

That last piece of information was connected to a painful memory, four students from my old school had cornered me under the pretence of 'taking out a future villain'. They still all fell for my Brainwashing, but I was overconfident in my own limits, and lost control after a few seconds. They had clearly given me a good kicking while I was unconscious, but being under my Brainwashing must have rattled them, because they didn't bother me again.

"This is all useful information." Aizawa muttered, shaking me from my memory "Do you know if you can record or transmit your voice? That could be very useful."

"Unfortunately, not." I replied, having tested it with one of my siblings a few months ago "I'm not too sure of the mechanics of my Quirk, but it seems that my voice loses its effect if it is converted into an electrical signal of any kind."

In truth, there were still lots of details about my own Quirk that I didn't really know about, much to my own chagrin. This was mainly due to the fact that it was borderline impossible to test my own Quirk out, as most people wouldn't allow me to use my Quirk on them, and I wouldn't want to ask that of anybody anyway. I had only learned the basic mechanics of my Quirk after several incidents with bullies in Middle School, and every piece of knowledge I had gained came with a price. Quirk counsellors were also largely unhelpful with analysing my Quirk, as they lacked knowledge of most mental-based Quirks and they were less than helpful when it came to helping learn about Brainwashing.

Aizawa nodded again, and after several seconds he reached for the stack of books beside him, handing them over to me.

"I borrowed these from UA's library, I think they would be useful for developing your proficiency with your Quirk."

I looked over the spines of the books, seeing titles like _Ventriloquism for dummies _and _Impressions and Imitation: Developing your voice_.

"These books are mainly used to teach people party tricks and such." Aizawa said, rolling his eyes "But a lot of the techniques in them should also help you with your Quirk, changing your voice would be a particularly powerful use of your Quirk."

I hadn't considered such a thing, but I realised how powerful such a technique could be, being able to trick villains into answering my statements would allow me to end fights even quicker. A stream of ideas surged into my mind as I examined the books in front of me, there were ways to apply my Quirk that I had never even considered that now seemed embarrassingly obvious in retrospect. It was strange, I had never considered my Quirk to be very versatile in terms of application, but

I resolved to try and develop the best techniques for my Quirk that I could, knowing that it could mean the difference between success and failure in future fights.

"Thank you Sir." I said, placing the books aside "I'll do my best to improve my Quirk, as well as everything else you've taught me."

"You'd better." Aizawa said, his usual sadistic grin appearing again "I've decided that your training will be concluded with a gruelling final exam, you have just under two months left, so you'd better start preparing!"

With that last proclamation Aizawa sent me home, and in a rare moment of mercy, he let me take the bus instead of forcing me to run with all the books I was carrying. I realised that my training was coming close to halfway through, and I now had less than two months left before my future was decided. Whatever 'final exam' Aizawa was talking about sounded like it would be the greatest test of my skills I had suffered so far, but I still had time to prepare.

I just hoped that I would be prepared enough for whatever Aizawa had in store for me…

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Not too much to say this time, though I hope you enjoyed all the emotional moments I tried to give Shinso this chapter. In canon, Shinso is clearly quite frustrated with his lot in life, though he hides his frustrations quite well until his fight with Midoriya. I thought it would be a good idea to explore these frustrations in this chapter, as we see Shinso have his moment of hopelessness and self-doubt. I hope it added a bit more depth to the character, and although he seemed to deal with his issues well this chapter, I'll likely come back to explore them at a later date._

_As well as that I thought I'd answer some more reviews_

_Raven Mordrake & Rex559: You've both hit the nail on the head when it comes to how Shinso will develop as a fighter in this fic, he's at a disadvantage to many students due to the fact that his Quirk is situational, and he lacks the destructive power of many of the 1A students. So, he will end up being one of the most technically skilled fighters in 1A, using skill and technique to win in close combat. He might still struggle against the real heavy hitters of 1A like Bakugo and Todoroki, but his training will ensure that he has a chance._

_alexanderjuarez499: While I'm not fully set on a loadout for him yet, I imagine that Shinso will end up with several tools (flashbangs, smoke bombs, caltrops, etc.) to give him an advantage in combat. You'll likely see some of these tools next Chapter._

_Donovan77: While I'm not sure about the canon answer to this question, for the purpose of this fic I'll say no, as it would make his Quirk far too strong. For the same reason, I'll say that people talking to someone else after Shinso says something aloud won't be affected either, as his official profile says that people need to 'answer his statements'. There will certainly be some creative uses of his Quirk though, so don't worry about him being too weak._

_ManiacWarrior: Shinso's certainly not weak, but his official profile lists his strength as 1/5 (though this is still by the standards of a school of superheroes). While he isn't going to become much of a physical powerhouse, his close combat technique will become far more formidable._

_Thank you all for your continued support of this fic, and I'll see you on Tuesday for Chapter 4- Tools of a Hero! This is the last Chapter of training, and Chapter 5 will have Shinso take his final exam, but until then, I'll see you next time._


	4. Chapter 4- Tools of a Hero

Chapter 4- Tools of a Hero

* * *

Over the next month, I was put through every kind of combat training I could imagine, it seemed at times that Aizawa was trying to teach me every fighting style that existed. Every day came with new techniques, as well as sharpening my proficiency with the techniques that I already knew. The array of combat styles and techniques I was taught was dizzying to say the least, but I eventually managed to form my own fighting style out of the myriad techniques that I had learned, it was a strange blend of existing styles and martial arts techniques, but it suited my purposes well.

The style that I had chosen was one based on movement and agility, similar to Aizawa's own fighting technique, or at least what I had seen of it. This style suited me well, as it would allow me to go up against students with strong quirks without having to face their power head on. Instead, I would focus on dodging and parrying their moves, before following up with strikes of my own. Aizawa had taught me how to target to weakest parts of the human body to maximise the effectiveness of my attacks. As Aizawa had told me many times, I had to be merciless when fighting, so exploiting every advantage was as important as he had said it would be.

With my chosen fighting style set, Aizawa helped me alter my physical training regime to accommodate this style. He had previously warned me against bulking up too much, and this new exercise schedule reflected that, focusing on making me as strong and agile as possible without gaining too much muscle mass. Agility training became an important part of my exercise, and I would spend many sessions practising climbing, jumping and all sorts of incredible athletic manoeuvres that I wouldn't have had a chance in performing a few months ago.

Aizawa also engaged in spars with me a few times a week, and although I rarely lasted long against him, each defeat came with a new lesson, and I could carry that experience forwards with me for the next spar. Aizawa had also opened up a little about his job as a pro hero, though he hadn't revealed his identity, he made it clear that he preferred to fight alone and at night, away from the prying eyes of the media.

Alongside the lessons I had learned in combat, Aizawa also taught me more nuanced and specific things. He would teach me stealth, basic first aid and even urban traversal, a way to move quickly through the dense cities of Japan. All of these subjects began to condense together into something more obscure, and it soon dawned on me that these were the basic skills of a hero.

* * *

I entered the training centre at the usual time, now barely feeling the exhaustion from my morning run after only a few minutes rest. Noticing my progress in things like that was one of my main motivations for continuing my training, and I was always left wondering how much more I could grow.

As usual, Aizawa was waiting for me in the centre. I was consistently amazed by his punctuality, considering how tired he always seemed to be I found it impressive that he could even wake up in the morning. That said, I seemed to be constantly exhausted as well, I had to be careful not to end up looking like a smaller version of my mentor.

"Welcome, Shinso." Aizawa murmured, turning to face me "I have something a little different for you today."

"And what would that be Sir?" I asked, doing my best to suppress the feeling of imminent doom I could feel creeping up on me.

"You'll recall that a while ago I told you that you would need various pieces of equipment in order to fight to your full potential." Aizawa said, I did, so I nodded in confirmation "Today's the day I introduce you to the tools you'll be using."

"Very well Sir." I replied, trying to keep the excitement I felt out of my voice "I'm ready when you are."

"I see, I'll lead you over to the equipment I've prepared for you in a moment." Aizawa then pointed to his scarf "But first you'll need to become acquainted with this."

"Your scarf?" I asked, more than a little confused.

Come to think of it, the object of clothing he was pointing to didn't really resemble a scarf, it was more like a bundle of loose bandages around his neck. As well as that, I did now remember how often the article was present, he seemed to wear the scarf every day, even in the hottest days of summer.

"It's not a scarf." He replied, a slight edge of irritation in his voice "It's a capturing weapon interwoven with carbon fibre."

Before I could respond to that statement, the capturing device shot towards me, enveloping me in an instant. I didn't even see Aizawa's arms move to launch the weapon at me, yet my arms and chest were ensnared by the tool in an instant, and I was left totally immobile. The sheer speed and strength of Aizawa and the tool was remarkable, and I was surprised to see such a basic implement used to such remarkable affect.

"As you can see, this tool can be highly effective in the right hands." Aizawa had adopted his more stern and motivated voice, something I had only heard on a handful of occasions "If you learn to master this tool, it will be extremely useful to you."

I looked up to see Aizawa standing before me, his appearance drastically different than usual. His hair was floating as if he was underwater, and his eyes glowed a strange red colour. Though nothing about his appearance had really changed, it was like facing a totally different person. In that moment, he seemed much more like the Pro Hero I knew he was, a world apart from the lethargic but attentive teacher I had come to know. One last detail caught my eye, the pair of yellow goggles that hung around his neck, usually obscured by the scar- capturing weapon. After seeing these goggles, I finally made the connection as to who Aizawa was, the Pro Hero Eraserhead!

Without any visible movement on Aizawa's part, the capturing weapon returned to its usual position around his neck, and his hair fell back to its scruffy former style. Once again it was like somebody flicked a switch, turning Eraserhead back to Aizawa right in front of me.

"You're…" I gasped, short on breath after being half suffocated by the capturing tool "You're Eraserhead!"

"So what?" Aizawa shrugged "All teachers at UA are Pro Heroes, I'm not sure why you're so surprised."

I guess he was right, but Eraserhead was a hero that I had always looked up to and admired, and I was a little starstruck after finding out I had been receiving lessons from him over the last two months. Eraserhead was notorious amongst those few people who expressed an interest in Underground Heroes, as he was a hero that used a powerful and unique ability that left him able to dispatch villains with a speed and proficiency that belied his unassuming appearance.

I had always been interested in the shadowy world of Underground Heroes, though any concrete information on them was incredibly difficult to come by, and most information was a mixture of conjecture and hearsay. I had spent many late nights trawling through obscure hero forums that dealt with those few heroes who had decided to stay away from the spotlight and any media attention, instead pursuing a life solely dedicated to the efficient capture and defeat of villains. As far as I knew, there wasn't a single heroics program in all of Japan that dealt with training new Underground Heroes, and the way that new heroes were brought into this shadowy group was a matter of intense debate amongst those who were interested in the topic.

Underground heroes were also incredibly rare, with some estimations placing their exact number in Japan at somewhere between 100 and 150, in contrast to the thousands of Pro Heroes that patrolled the streets of Japan in broad daylight, though such an estimation is bound to be more of a guess than factual. I wasn't sure why, but I had always found myself drawn to the world if Underground Heroes, and some part of me found them to be deeply intriguing. Perhaps it was due to my own experiences with my Quirk, but I always admired the way that Underground Heroes would go about their work without the need for recognition or fame, instead focusing purely on getting their jobs done. Many Underground Heroes also had Quirks that were seen as bizarre or undesirable by many people in public life, and so I felt some kind of kinship with those heroes.

Of course, there were also many unsavoury rumours about secret duties that Underground Heroes would undertake, some of which bordered on illegal. But such rumours were totally unproven, even if they were still a subject of discussion for many.

Even for an Underground Hero, Eraserhead had always been an elusive hero, interviews with him were non-existent, and any videos of him in action were rare and short in equal measure. I'd always admired Eraserhead for the way he had conducted his heroic duties, just performing his job without feeling the need to showboat to the media. That said, Aizawa was right, I was here to learn how to train, not to gush over meeting a hero I had always admired.

"Mastering this capturing tool is an incredibly difficult task, it can take years to gain full proficiency." Aizawa adjusted the tool around his neck before continuing. "However, the rewards for gaining such mastery are great, and they will give you a significant advantage in combat."

"Of course." I said, ideas of the varying applications of this weapon already spinning around my head. "I'll do everything I can to master this tool Sir."

"I'm sure you will." Aizawa said, suddenly turning and walking away from me "Follow me, I have something to show you."

"Where are we going Sir?" I asked, scrambling to catch up with Aizawa's sudden departure.

"The support department at UA." Aizawa replied, not turning to face me as he answered my question "I've had a friend prepare something you might be interested in."

Before I could process the fact that I was actually going to UA High School itself, my mind was filled with dozens of other questions, though I supposed that I would get my answers soon enough.

* * *

The drive to UA was short enough, Aizawa drove in as quick and efficient manner as I would expect from him. He didn't say anything the entire trip, which was a tad awkward. Eventually we made it to one of the back entrances of UA, and Aizawa led me to a large warehouse-like structure that sat in one of the corners of campus. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to enter UA proper, but if all went well, I would be there in just under a month anyway.

The building that I followed Aizawa into had the bearings of a large workshop, with dozens of workbenches covering the floor, and disorganized shelves stuffed full of tools and mechanical parts lining the walls. Aizawa said this was the support workshop for UA, and I supposed that this place would have been full of support students during term time, but now it seemed almost deserted, save the sounds of gentle hammering emanating from the back of the workshop.

"Maijima!" Aizawa called "I'm here."

The hammering stopped, and from the back of the workshop emerged a short man with spiky ginger hair and a wide grin; most strikingly, his fingertips were made of solid iron, which must have been his Quirk.

"Aizawa, glad to see you made it." The man spoke, his voice far more energetic than the dull tones of Aizawa "And you must be Hitoshi Shinso, the prospective student."

"Yes Sir." I bowed, assuming him to be UA staff.

"We're here about the items I commissioned." Aizawa said, sounding as disinterested as ever "I trust they've arrived?"

"Of course." Maijima said, waving us over to one of the corners of his workshop "Come here, I have everything set out for you."

In the corner that we were lead to sat a large silver case, almost as tall as me and made of finely polished metal, giving the impression of a high-end product. Maijima flipped a switch and the case slid open, revealing its contents.

I didn't expect what I saw.

It was a costume, a hero costume.

For me!

I didn't know what to say to the pair standing beside me, I was too busy being surprised at the gift to really say anything. I spent a good amount of time staring at the costume before finally mustering up the will to say something.

"Thank you." I whispered, bowing profusely to both to cover up my shocked expression "Thank you both."

"Don't be too grateful." Aizawa said, though his expression did betray the barest hint of emotion "It's simply a pragmatic choice, all UA Hero Course students require a costume to perform their tasks, so you would need one to keep up."

"I'm sorry we couldn't ask you what design you wanted." Maijima added "But Aizawa said that you might get overconfident if you knew you had a good chance of getting into the Hero Course."

I hadn't considered that, the fact that this costume had been made for me gave away that Aizawa believed I had a good chance of getting in. The fact that he had such confidence in me was reassuring, even though I knew he would never say something like that in person.

"Don't use this as an excuse to slack off." Aizawa said, apparently having read my expression "I'll happily give this costume away if you don't make the cut."

"Never change, Aizawa." Maijima said, shaking his head "I could run through the features, if you'd like?"

I just nodded, still a little overcome with emotion.

"First of all, the suit itself." Maijima gestured to the garment in the centre of the case. "It's a standard black under suit, split into two parts, though I've made several modifications to it."

"The suit itself has a layer of Kevlar fabric woven into it, and several pieces of armour on the chest, arms and legs provide better protection in these areas." Maijima held up the suit for me to see it, and several thin armour plates were visibly stitched onto the costume "Aizawa said that a lightweight design was important, so I've done my best to make the costume light and low-profile, while still providing a good deal of protection."

The under suit was visually unremarkable, but it sounded like a lot of effort had gone into making it as protective as possible. The armour plates that were part of the suit looked like a low-profile version of the bulletproof armour worn by police, and in my mind, it seemed to strike the prefect balance between being sleek and light while still looking strong enough to protect me. I couldn't help but admire the suit, the effort and craftsmanship that must have gone into making something like this. This all felt like real hero stuff, and it was crazy that such an advanced suit had been made for me!

"I've also provided these boots with the costume." Maijima gestured to a pair of normal looking black combat boots sitting at the bottom of the case "They've been designed to be light and not impede your agility, and steel plates in the soles should add a bit more punch to your kicks."

Maijima then moved to a black belt that lay independent of the costume, and they were strapped with several black leather pouches, as well as several metal cylinders that I didn't recognise.

"No good costume is complete without a utility belt of some kind." The engineering chuckled "And this one is loaded with all of the standard equipment: basic medical supplies, a personal radio as well as some empty space for your own use. Aizawa also requested a pouch full of Caltrops, and I've given you a certain compact design."

Maijima held out his hand, giving me what appeared to be a small metal spike with four prongs arranged in a triangular fashion.

"Try throwing it on the ground."

I did so, flicking the lightweight spike towards the hard concrete. By the time it had hit the ground, the spike had opened up into a four-pronged caltrop, with one of its vicious spikes facing straight upwards.

"These caltrops sense wind speed and movement to deploy only when thrown, making them compact and easy to store." Maijima grabbed the little device from the ground "They're electronically controlled, and a small device can command them all to fold back up, making it easier to collect them after they've been used."

"What about the cylinders on the belt?" I asked, still unable to discern their function.

"Another device that Aizawa suggested." Maijima said, lifting two of the cylinders and pointing to the coloured bands on them "Smoke bombs have grey bands and flashbangs have yellow, I'm sure you'll find them both very useful."

I was a little taken aback by the presence of weapons that I would usually associate with the police of the military, but their inclusion in my arsenal of tools made sense, and I could already think of several uses for them.

"These are the capturing tools that Aizawa requested." Maijima said, holding up two rolls of tightly wound carbon fibre, identical to the one Aizawa warned.

"How come there are two?" I asked.

"It comes down to a matter of proficiency." Aizawa replied "Wearing two smaller tools around your arms is an easier method of use for beginners, as the tool is easier to control this way."

This made sense, and although Aizawa had said they were smaller than his own, each roll seemed to have a length of several metres. I was already daunted by the task of learning how to use these tools, and even though Aizawa had made it look easy, I knew that I would be in for a hard time when it came to learning how to use these strange tools.

"Finally, the crown jewel of this ensemble, something to enhance your Quirk." Maijima lifted up what looked like a metal face mask and passed it to me "The Artificial Vocal Cords."

I inspected the strange piece of equipment and deduced that it was meant to fit over the bottom half of my face. It's construction was bizarre, as it appeared to be made of many overlapping metal plates. Of course, even this mask was black.

"Aizawa told me that a voice altering piece of equipment would be useful, but your Quirk doesn't work through electronic equipment." Maijima took the mask back from me and held it up for the three of us to see "It took some work, but we came up with a solution. The mask is made of dozens of tiny steel plates that can be moved to filter and change your voice without converting it to electronic signals."

I was amazed by such an ingenious piece of equipment; the potential uses for such a thing were staggering.

"The movement of the Chords is controlled by a glove, moving your hand and fingers into certain positions will cause the plates to move and alter your voice in different ways. The Chords will only change when you press a button on the glove, so your voice doesn't change in the middle of a fight" The engineer pointed to a black glove that lay alongside the mask "It's a very difficult piece of equipment to use, and you'll need a lot of practise before you can use it effectively."

"One other thing." Maijima added, pointing to a small button of the rim of the mask "Though it's not designed for it, you can press this button to close the mask and use it as a Gas Mask. It's not perfect, and you'll only get a few minutes of use, but it should serve in a pinch."

I was overwhelmed by the massive array of equipment around me, the thought and effort that must have gone into making every part of my hero costume must have been massive, and I was amazed that Aizawa and the support department had gone through so much effort for me.

"Thank you both." I bowed again, feeling an immense gratitude "I promise I'll do everything I can to master these tools."

"Don't thank me yet." Aizawa said, sounding a little less bored than usual "If you fall short, or fail your final exam, I'll happily expel you."

"He's serious." Maijima interjected, his somewhat upbeat voice sounding grimmer and more serious than before "Last year he expelled his whole freshman class for lacking potential."

"They didn't have what it takes." Aizawa muttered "I stand by that decision, and I have the right to teach my class however I wish."

I was shocked by that information, though I always knew that Aizawa was serious with his threats of expulsion, this was a step up from what I knew. To think that Aizawa had expelled an entire class of freshman heroes, and it was even more shocking to see that UA apparently stood by his decision. I knew that UA had a reputation for high expectations, but this was another level!

Despite the shock that I felt, it just steeled my resolve. I knew that it would be challenging to get through UA and knowing that expulsion was a real threat only made me determined to work even harder.

"I won't let you down Mr. Aizawa." I said, steeling my voice "I'll pass your test, no matter what."

I tried my best to sound confident and determined, even though my own doubts were looming large in my mind. I knew that I would give the exam everything I had to offer, I just hoped that it would be enough to earn me the place in UA that I had worked so hard for.

Aizawa didn't say anything, but his expression betrayed the barest hint of pride, and I hoped that I wouldn't fall short of his expectations.

* * *

The last month of my training focused mainly on becoming proficient with the various tools and pieces of equipment that I would use if I were to enter the hero course. This was the most arduous period of my training thus far, as I focused on honing everything I had learned so far, while still being expected to learn new skills every day.

My fitness training had risen to a new level of intensity, and some of the exercises I was told to perform would have seemed impossible to me a few months ago. Despite the intimidating nature of these exercises, I rose to the occasion and completed them every time, no matter the strain it put my body under. I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed with my progress, and I had spent more than a little time admiring my new muscled form in the mirror, though I told myself this was a bad habit to fall into. Despite these physical improvements, Aizawa always reminded me to avoid bulking up too much, and so most of the exercises would focus on honing my endurance and speed, ensuring that I would be able to fight with my agile combat style at maximum efficiency.

Speaking of combat, my progress in this area had been notable as well. I had started by only learning basic moves and techniques, and much of my early training focused on honing my performance of these moves to a razor point. As my training progressed, I moved on to learn greater and more advanced techniques, each one designed to maximise damage inflicted and minimise risk to myself. I would learn to focus my attacks into devastating combinations, moving from one attack to another with almost inhuman efficiency. Time was precious when fighting, and Aizawa taught me to maximise the efficiency of every one of my moves, so not a second was wasted fumbling between techniques.

Aizawa also taught me several other important things about combat, most importantly, he taught me how to switch between offense and defence. I would have to use my knowledge and instincts to know when to attack and when to defend, deftly moving between strikes and parries in the blink of an eye. Aizawa likened combat to the tides of an ocean, moving between two states constantly, and he made it clear that learning to read and respond to the tides of combat was an important skill to learn.

My training with the capturing tool had been difficult, but I had made decent progress into learning the ways of this unpredictable weapon. My specialty was close combat, and I would be at a disadvantage against people with long-ranged Quirks. To mitigate this disadvantage, Aizawa taught me how to use the capturing tool to rapidly close the distance in combat, allowing me to play to my strengths. I could wrap the capturing tool around my opponent and pull them towards me, or if they were particularly strong or heavy, I could move myself towards them.

There were several other Quirks I could counter through the use of the capturing tool, people with agility-enhancing Quirks could be bound in one place to slow their impressive movement, and people with flight Quirks could be grounded if I snagged them with the tool. Aizawa even suggested that I could use the capturing tool to pull myself into the air to fight with a flying-Quirk user in close combat, and I even got to practise this with a friend of Aizawa's who possessed a flight Quirk. Though I managed to finally snag them and engage them, the disorientation and vertigo that came with fighting in the air was uncomfortable to say the least, that would have to be something I would work on. I was initially sceptical of the uses of the capturing tool, but Aizawa showed me just how much of a formidable and versatile weapon it could be. Though I was a very long way from mastering the tool, I had begun to truly appreciate how useful it could be.

The Artificial Vocal Chords were another matter entirely, Maijima had been correct when he said that they would be difficult to use, but just how tricky they were still came as a surprise to me. The glove that wirelessly controlled the movements of the steel plates was absurdly sensitive, and even the slightest twitch or wrong muscle movement could twist my vocal tone into something absurd. However, through constant practise, I was able to gain some level of proficiency with the support tool. Though the movements of the mask seemed random and chaotic at first, I came to realise that they were finely tuned and precise, and I simply had to master the movement of the tool.

My practise was assisted by various books and online tutorials teaching me how to read the tones of a person's voice after only hearing a few words of their speech, and I would then have to produce an accurate mimicry of their voice in a few seconds. I knew that I couldn't just coast by on mimicking the voices of Aizawa and my family, when I was in the field I would have to learn the voices of villains instantly, and so I devoted myself to learning how to use the mask as quickly and efficiently as possible. Speech patterns and mannerism were also important things to learn, so I tried to pick up as many slang terms as I could think of, all in the effort of making my mimicries as authentic as possible. I knew that I was far from mastering this exotic support tool, but I hoped to at least gain a base level of proficiency for now.

I knew that my final exam loomed, but whenever I asked Aizawa about it, he was tight lipped. He would always dodge or deflect the question, instead telling me to focus on the lessons of the day, and I seldom had the time or the energy to press the issue. Though I had no idea as to what the content of the exam would be, Aizawa assured me that it would test everything I had learned so far, and it would be the most difficult thing I have ever done. I didn't doubt his words, Aizawa wasn't the type to make idle threats or blow things out of proportion. With that grim warning in mind, I threw myself into my training with even greater determination, I would be damned if I let myself do all of this training, only to fall at the last hurdle.

In those last few weeks of my training, I pushed myself harder than ever before, working at my absolute limit everyday to ensure that I would be ready for whatever it was that Aizawa had in store for me. Though my progress continued at a steady pace, I couldn't help but worry that it wouldn't be enough when the time came for the final exam.

It was only a few days before term time started when I received a text message from Aizawa, and while I was stunned wondering how exactly he had my phone number, I was even more shocked by the content of the message.

Your final exam is tomorrow, you will be fighting me in one-on-one combat to decide if you are worthy of entering the Hero Course. Don't be late.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Sorry for the slight delay on this one, life gets in the way sometimes!_

_This is Tuesday's Chapter, and you'll get Thursday's tomorrow. Sorry for the delay, but it's only a one-time thing._

_First of all, before anybody asks Maijima is Power Loader, I know he's usually referred to by his hero name in the anime, but I thought it made more sense for Aizawa to refer to him by his actual name._

_I'm aware that this Chapter basically turned into an extended description of Shinso's costume, but I enjoyed coming up with the costume (thanks to everybody who suggested things for his costume), and I hope its enjoyable to read. Besides, I had to describe all of his gadgets at some point and revealing them whenever they are needed seems like a bit of an asspull to me, so I thought it was better to set everything out now._

_Also yes, I changed how Shinso wore the capturing tool, instead of wearing it around his neck like Aizawa, he wears two around his arms. I had several reasons for this change: It seemed like an easier way to wield a weapon like that, it made Shinso a bit more visually distinct from Aizawa and most of all it makes it a bit less obvious that he was trained by Aizawa. Though Shinso isn't hiding the fact that Aizawa had trained him, he isn't really the type to flaunt something like that, so I thought that this was a nice way to show that._

_I also hope you liked my idea for wirelessly controlling the Artificial Vocal Chords, it was a mechanism that made sense to me, and it seemed more sensible than having Shinso fiddle with the mask during combat to try and control it._

_This is the last Chapter of Shinso's training, and he will be facing down against Aizawa for his final exam tomorrow, it will be the first fight scene I've written for this fic, so it should be interesting._

_I've got a few more reviews to answer as well:_

_Kittyfan12: Thanks for your support! I hope I can do this character justice, but I'm glad you share my enthusiasm for this story and Shinso himself._

_Raven Mordrake: I'm not too sure on this one, Shinso's kind of introverted, and while I can see him getting along well with 1A after some time, contact with 1B is kind of rare. That said, I do have at least one scene planned where Shinso teams up with some 1B students, and he will interact with some of them in the Sport's Festival._

_Alexanderjuarez499: I won't spoil this one, you'll see his full costume and equipment next Chapter._

_Mayrajuarez0555: I liked this idea, and I'm surprised it's something that I overlooked, so I put it in this Chapter, thanks for the suggestion!_

_Vilma Arnez: There will be a scene where all of 1A introduce themselves to each other, so they will know his Quirk. But he'll keep it a secret during the Battle Trials, and he won't mention it to anybody outside of 1A unless he needs to._

_Donovan77: You're right, I'll just have to say that Shinso hasn't trained his Quirk as much as he's been focusing on physical training, but he'll be able to increase his limit later on._

_That's all, I'll see you tomorrow for the final exam. I have a loose plan for this Chapter, but I want to see where the fight takes me, as I think these scenes need to flow naturally. Thank you everybody who reads this fic for your continued support!_


	5. Chapter 5- Final Exam

Chapter 5: The Final Exam

* * *

The day had come, three months of the most intense training imaginable all culminated today, with one final task standing between me and entrance into the most prestigious Hero Course in the country, bringing me one step closer to my dream of being a Hero. I only had one last task to overcome before all of my training and hardship were finally worth it, on paper, it should have been easy.

But the task that lay in front of me was a terrifying one to say the least, a one-on-one fight with Aizawa! The man was a Pro Hero, and he had quite literally taught me everything I knew about combat. He also had many years of experience fighting villains over me, whereas the entirety of my combat experience consists of spars with Aizawa himself. As well as that, he had consistently beaten me on every spar we had had since my training had begun, and even though my own skills had advanced significantly, there was still an enormous gulf between the two of us on matters of skill, and I was now expected to come out on top.

All of these thoughts and more span around my head as I walked through the doors of the training centre, having been allowed to take the train to the centre today in order to conserve my energy for the fight ahead. I had no idea exactly how far this fight would go, but the past months of training told me that it would be an undoubtably brutal experience.

As I entered the main training room I saw that the entire floor had been stripped of the soft training mats that I had come to expect in my combat exercises. Aizawa stood in the centre, as calm and disinterested in appearance as usual, though when he saw me enter his tired eyes did betray a hint of focus.

"You're early." Aizawa noted, glancing at his watch "Good."

"I'm ready." I lied, hoping that I sounded more comfortable than I felt.

"Not yet you're not." Aizawa muttered, pointing to a table that sat in the corner of the room "Pick one piece of equipment from that table to use, then you'll be ready."

I nodded and walked over to the table, and when I arrived I saw that the pieces of equipment were the various parts of my hero outfit, split into four groups. Though I had trained in the usage of each piece of equipment over the last month, I had never been allowed access to the actual hero outfit, nor could I practise with several pieces of equipment at once. Aizawa's reasoning for this was that access to the full suit was a privilege I would gain at UA, and that I should view access to it as an incentive. In my own mind, I already had plenty of incentive into making it into UA High, but I knew that there was no arguing with Aizawa's logic when he had set his mind to it.

The first thing on the table was a belt, carrying four of the compact flashbangs and smoke bombs each. This was an immediately appealing choice, though I knew that I would be vulnerable to their affects as well. As well as this, in one of our sparring sessions Aizawa had pulled a Flashbang from my belt mid-fight and used in against me, and I expected him to pull the same trick again if I fought him today.

The next item was a small pouch of caltrops, as well as the device that could fold them back up. While these devices were useful in terms of area denial, Aizawa possessed near-supernatural agility, and he had demonstrated this to me several times by easily clinging to the walls and even the ceiling with little difficulty. I knew that Aizawa could easily avoid a cluster of caltrops, and I would more than likely fall victim to them myself, which was hardly the result I wanted given I would likely be sporting a few injuries by the end of this fight anyway.

The Artificial Vocal Cords were next, and although the mask was somewhat the main piece of my kit, I dismissed it without a second thought. Aizawa wasn't an idiot, and there was no way that he would fall for a trick like that. This piece of equipment was only useful for ambushes and against enemies that didn't know about my Quirk, in a straight fight with an aware opponent, it was a pointless effort. I got the impression that Aizawa had only made this piece of equipment available in order to hammer home the lessons he had taught me about my own Quirk over the past few months.

Finally I came to the final piece of equipment, the capturing weapon. The two rolls of carbon fibre were tightly wrapped and neatly stacked on top of each other, telling me that I would have access to both of them if I chose to use this equipment. I was hesitant to use the tool, as although I had made great strides in its usage, I was miles away from mastering it. As well as this, it was Aizawa's own weapon of choice, and he likely knew almost every trick and technique that one could perform with the tool. Despite these drawbacks, something drew me to the tool, and before I could even think on my decision further I reached for the twin rolls of carbon fibre. I turned and walked back towards Aizawa, wrapping the tool around my arms in well-practised motions, being sure to wrap it just tight enough to ensure it would cling to me without restricting arm movement.

Aizawa noticed I had made my choice, and although he said nothing, I got the sense that he approved of my decision. I came to a stop 20 feet opposite Aizawa, performing every technique I knew of to calm my breathing and focus my mind.

"There's still time to walk away." Said Aizawa "This will be painful, and I won't hold back, you'll be fighting a Pro Hero."

I knew he was trying to psyche me out, mental manipulation was another technique we had studied thoroughly, and I had learned the tricks he was employing right now. I had learned that making an opponent lose the will to fight was often far easier and more effective than taking them down in a more traditional way. I didn't respond, instead I simply adopted a steeled expression and sunk into a fighting pose, as ready as I could ever be for what was about to take place.

"Very well." Aizawa said, pulling his goggles over his eyes and sinking into his own pose "Before we begin you should know the terms of this fight."

I didn't say anything, instead I focused myself on Aizawa, ready for a surprise attack.

"The fight ends when one of us is either unconscious or unable to continue fighting." As Aizawa said this I saw his hair and capturing weapon rise into the air, a sign that he had activated his Quirk in order to intimidate me "If you win, you pass. If I win, you fail and will be expelled. It's all fairly simple."

I was surprised by how brutal the terms of the battle were, but I had come to expect nothing else after months of being trained by Aizawa. It occurred to me that neither of us would be able to use our Quirks during this fight, and the battle would be decided by a contest of strength and technique. I hoped that I would be able to fight Aizawa well enough to win the fight, but I worried that I didn't have the skill required to beat him. I pushed all these doubts aside for now, focusing entirely on my opponent.

"You seem ready." Aizawa said, steeling his expression "Let us begin."

With that last statement Aizawa leapt towards me, and my Final Exam began.

* * *

Aizawa's first blow was a high kick, aimed squarely at my head. Three months ago, I would have been staggered by the speed and precision of the blow, but I was better prepared now. I sidestepped the blow as best I could, then brought my arm up, trying to launch my capturing weapon from my wrist and wrap it around his outstretched leg. Aizawa had anticipated this though, and he struck out with his other leg, forcing me to jump out of harm's way.

Aizawa didn't let up, and as soon as he landed from his first leap he pivoted on his heel and turned towards me again, launching himself forwards with inhuman speed. This time, I was better prepared for this assault, and I quickly wrapped my capturing tool around his outstretched wrist. Before Aizawa could do anything to counter I threw my entire body into a spin, launching Aizawa towards an empty corner of the room.

I knew it would take him only a few seconds to recover after being thrown like that, so I flicked the loose strip of capturing tool back onto my wrist and leapt towards Aizawa, ready to go on the offensive. I had almost caught up with him before he even landed, and as I saw him hit the ground I launched myself forwards with a punch, ready to strike Aizawa as soon as he inevitably leapt back up.

By the time I saw what he was doing, it was already too late.

Aizawa had apparently anticipated this course of action; and, unbeknownst to me, had already prepared a counterattack. Aizawa didn't rise from his prone position, instead he simply extended his leg upwards as to perfectly strike me under the chin. My flight trajectory was violently cut short as soon as I made contact with his boot, and the force behind the strike sent me spiralling away from Aizawa, giving him ample time to recover.

I wasn't idle either, while in flight I prepared to execute one of the recovery techniques that Aizawa had taught me. As soon as I was able, I kicked one of my legs at the ground and used the resultant momentum to perform a feat of acrobatics that would have left me astounded a few months ago. I was able to pivot myself back onto my feet, though a slight dizziness remained from the blow that Aizawa had struck me with.

I saw Aizawa running towards me, and I prepared myself to counter whichever move he came up with next. I was therefore taken by surprise when he instead launched himself in the air, flying high above me in a graceful flip. I saw as he reached for his own capturing tool and launched it towards me, intent on ensnaring me and ending the bout.

I had anticipated this moment, Aizawa's skill with the capturing tool was beyond compare, and I had little to no hope of ever matching him. But I had devised an alternate strategy, and I readied the tool on my left arm to execute my plan. I launched my capturing tool towards his, throwing it in a wild and erratic style that I had mistakenly employed when I was first learning how to use the tool. When I was learning, I threw my tool in such a way that it became tangled and unusable; while that had been an accident that time, it was the cornerstone of my strategy here.

As I had hoped, the two tools became hopelessly tangled, trapping them together. I then pulled hard on my own tool, intent on pulling Aizawa to the ground as hard as possible. Putting Aizawa in this situation was my best chance of tipping the bout in my favour, as Aizawa would either be pulled violently to the ground, or he would have to surrender usage of his own capturing weapon.

Aizawa must have realised the predicament I had lured him into, as he quickly threw his own capturing tool off of his neck before I could pull him to the ground. He landed across the hall, now bereft of his most potent weapon.

"An impressive manoeuvre." Aizawa said, not sounding the least bit winded or tired "But don't think that you're out of the woods yet."

"You think you can win?" I taunted, activating my Quirk and hoping that he would take the bait in the heat of the fight.

No such luck, Aizawa just smiled and charged back towards my, apparently not at all inconvenienced by the fact he had lost his only weapon while I still had one of mine. Without hesitating, I launched my own capture weapon towards Aizawa, intent on snaring one of his limbs.

Aizawa nimbly dodged the strip of fabric and grabbed onto it, and I fumbled while trying to remove the weapon from my arm. Before I had the chance to react, Aizawa pulled on the fabric, yanking me towards him with frightening speed, his arm pulled back to strike me.

Just before the blow landed I rolled to the side, finally detaching myself from the capturing weapon in the process. I punched upwards with all the force I could muster and struck Aizawa squarely in the stomach, eliciting a grunt of pain from the normally stoic Hero. Though I was elated to have finally landed a hit on Aizawa, I knew that I was still in a bad situation, and now I had just lost my other capture weapon.

I knew I had to follow up on my attack, and I did so by flipping my body over, attempting to strike Aizawa with a kick. This move was far too obvious though, and Aizawa easily snared my leg with my stolen capturing weapon. I tried to pull away but Aizawa's grip was firm, and he used my own momentum to fling me away from him.

Somehow, I managed to react quickly enough to counter, placing my hands on the ground below me and using my new strength to flip myself over. Aizawa seemingly hadn't expected this change, as he was already in the air in pursuit of me. While he attempted to correct his course in mid-air, I pulled my fist back and struck him squarely in the jaw, though the strike did little to slow his momentum. I ducked out of the way at the last second, only barely avoiding Aizawa's flying body. I realised that the shock of the blow had caused him to drop the capturing weapon, and it now lay just at my feet.

I knew that I would only have a few seconds to enact a plan before Aizawa recovered and attacked me again. I used what little time it had to grab the capturing weapon and swiftly tie it into several knots, rendering it useless. My logic behind this decision was the fact that Aizawa was easily more proficient with the tool than me, and he had also demonstrated the ability to easily disarm me of my own tools. At least this way, Aizawa would lose access to his weapon of choice.

On the other hand, it left me completely unarmed as well.

Before I could contemplate this situation Aizawa was back on me, and he grappled me in a strong hold before flipping me over his shoulder and onto the ground. The force of this blow knocked the wind out of me, and I gasped for air.

I saw that Aizawa was about to bring his boot down onto my chest, and I used what little strength I had left to roll out of the way, using my own movement to pull myself to my feet. This was only a temporary retrieve, and Aizawa lashed out again, extending both his arms in an attempt to grapple me again.

I was ready for the move this time, and I extended my own arms to catch his. Every ounce of the strength I had gained over the past few months went into the titanic effort of holding Aizawa back. The stalemate was impossible to maintain, Aizawa was clearly far stronger than he looked, and my own strength was rapidly waning.

My mind scrambled for a way to tip the grapple in my favour, but I knew that Aizawa must have been planning something himself. I glanced over to him in an attempt to discern whatever it was he was planning, but the goggles that covered his eyes made his expression nearly unreadable.

I thought that swift action was the best solution, and so I brought one of my knees up in a powerful motion, catching Aizawa in the stomach and making him wince slightly in pain. Unfortunately, it seemed that the blow had no real effect on my opponent, and he used the fact that I was now standing on one leg to his advantage, pushing me forwards in a powerful motion.

I barely stopped myself from falling to the ground, though I instantly found myself being assailed by a flurry of strikes from Aizawa. I fell back into my trained routine, dodging any blows that I could elude, and parrying those that struck too close to me. Despite this last-ditch effort from me, I knew it was a losing battle, as although I was avoiding or parrying most of Aizawa's strikes one got through and struck me occasionally, and I was growing more fatigued with every blow. It struck me in that moment just how proficient Aizawa was in close combat, even though he had been robbed of his preferred weapon and left his only his fists, he was still able to fight me with a dizzying array of styles and techniques.

For a time, it seemed that I would be able to hold out against the Pro Hero, as we traded blows any semblance of winning or losing seemed to fall away, replaced by a singular urge to endure the swirling chaos of combat. I knew it was dangerous to lose focus in this manner, but exhaustion and adrenaline compelled me to continue, and I could do nothing but ride the wave of energy that I was being swept up in. I did everything I could to benefit from this boost in energy, pressing my attack forwards in a furious flurry of strikes, the sheer speed of which would have impressed me at any other time. This burst of energy finally forced Aizawa onto the back foot, and he could only defend from the sudden burst of attacks.

Inevitably, this maddened state of adrenaline didn't last forever, and I felt the pure focus and determination that had carried me forwards beginning to ebb and fade, finally being replaced by the cold focus of reality. Eventually my fatigue caused my defence to finally falter, and my oxygen-deprived brain told me that the best thing to do was attack. I knew that it was a foolish manoeuvre, but I tried anyway, bringing my fist around in a wide arc and screaming my defiance with every fibre of my being.

It wasn't enough though, the blow was wide and sloppy, having been made out of pure desperation rather than any kind of technique. Aizawa easily dodged the blow and ducked low, and by the time I realised what was happening it was already too late. Aizawa brought his fist up in a powerful upwards arc, striking my right in the jaw and sending me flying into the air, all resistance knocked out of me at last.

With that last strike I was sent spiralling to the ground again, falling in a crumpled heap on the ground. I didn't have the energy left to rise again, so I remained on the floor, desperately gasping for air. All of the pain that adrenaline had been overriding finally came into sharp focus, and I grimaced as I started to feel various injuries all over my body where I had been struck. After what seemed like a few minutes I finally gained the willpower to turn onto my back, where I saw Aizawa standing over me, his expression totally unreadable.

"That's the end then." He sounded totally disinterested, though he did offer me a hand up which I gladly took.

As I stood an awkward silence settled between the two of us, and I had no idea what to say to break the tension. We both stood there for several moments, until Aizawa finally broke the silence.

"It's over." He said, pulling the goggles from his face and hiding them back underneath his scarf "Go Home, we're done here."

I was shocked by the implication of his words, but I couldn't bring myself to refute him in any way. I just stood still for several seconds, watching with tunnel vision as Aizawa calmly walked over to the tangled mess that was the discarded capturing weapons, he then crouched down and began to untangle them, not even sparing me a backwards glance.

I was horrified, this couldn't be it! All my training, was it all going to waste? I fought back the urge to shout out or break down, instead I was just left shocked by the sudden turn of events. Part of me wanted to break down, to shout and rage in denial at what had just transpired, but the more logical part of my mind knew that doing such a thing would be futile, nothing could change what had just happened.

I suppressed all of the emotions bubbling around inside of me and turned away, limping away as fast as I could. I just wanted to get as far away from this damned centre as possible, no matter how much pain it caused me.

* * *

I slowly made my way home, every motion agitating my injuries as I walked away from the training centre. I realised that Aizawa hadn't caused any major injuries or broken bones, another testament to his skill and precision. It was really no surprise that I had been beaten so handily, but it was still a blow to my confidence to have been so easily crushed by my teacher.

And I had been totally beaten, Aizawa's skill and technique were beyond anything I had ever seen before, there was no way that I could have beaten him, not at my current level of skill. Though I had managed to land a few hits, the fight had undoubtably gone in Aizawa's favour, and he had left me crushed. I was still a little shell-shocked that three months of training and learning had come to such an abrupt and shocking end, and the after effects of such a revelation left me feeling hollow.

I opened the front door to my house and was immediately swarmed by the rest of my family, they all seemed anxious to hear how the exam had gone. I just shrugged and told them what had happened, I didn't like to see their faces fall like that, but I wasn't going to sugar-coat things with her. The mood changed quite quickly after that, and I was left on my own. I quickly retired to my bedroom, to sleep away the disappointment of the day.

A few hours passed before I heard a gentle knock on the door, and my mother entered the room. I could see that she was concerned, but neither of us wanted to discuss the possibility of failure. While Aizawa had thoroughly beaten me and then curtly sent me on my way, he hadn't actually told me that I had failed. I knew I had though, all that remained was to accept it.

"Hitoshi." She said, a slight tone of apprehension in her voice. I knew she was keen to avoid the subject matter at hand, at least until I got my official results "Would you mind going down to the store? I'm making Katsudon and we're out of eggs."

"Sure." I shrugged, unable to muster anything more than a mumble "I'll be back soon."

I made my way to the front door, grabbing a handful of yen to use at the store.

"Hitoshi."

My mother's words stopped me from leaving right away, and I turned back to face her.

"No matter what happens, I'm proud of you."

I didn't say anything, but as I walked away, I hoped she didn't notice how destroyed my expression must have been.

* * *

I whistled idly to myself as I made my way home, clutching the bag containing the dozen eggs in one hand while the other was simply thrust into my pocket. I found myself just staring at the ground while on my way back home, and I almost bumped into people walking down the street several times.

As I saw my house approaching I fished into my pocket for the key, jogging towards the door and reaching for the handle… only to find that the door was already open. Strange, I could swear I locked it before I left. As I stepped inside I heard the sound of conversation from the sitting room, the voices belonging to my mother, siblings and a male voice that I couldn't quite recognise.

"I've got the-"

I was cut short when I rounded the entrance to the sitting room and saw _Aizawa_ sitting on one of the chairs, one of our cats sitting comfortably on his lap.

"And here he is." Aizawa muttered, looking slightly less exhausted than usual.

Everyone in the room turned to face me, and I was immediately struck by the oddity of the situation. My mother and siblings were sitting on one of the sofas facing Aizawa, seemingly enthralled with whatever it was he had been talking about.

"Mr. Aizawa." I bowed, hearing the confusion in my own voice "What brings you here?"

"Sit down." Aizawa said, beckoning his hand to another chair "I'm here to talk about your exam earlier today."

While I was struck by the oddity of having a stranger tell me to sit down in my own house, I complied, still wondering what exactly had caused Aizawa to visit.

"I suppose you're wondering how you did in the exam?" Aizawa said, making the sentence sound more like a statement than a question.

"I already know how I did." I replied, unable to meet his gaze "You beat me easily."

That sentence hung in the air for several long moments, with nobody else in the room doing anything to reply.

"You know, I thought I had trained you to assess any situation." Aizawa chuckled, twisting the metaphorical knife in further "But you can still be shocking naïve sometimes."

I was shocked at his first statement, but confused by his second, what exactly was he talking about?

"You really thought that you were expected to take down a Pro Hero?" Aizawa said, his voice sounding suddenly lively and animated "Of course I wasn't expecting you to beat me, I was merely assessing how far you had advanced in three months."

"But you said-"

"That was just a rational deception." Aizawa chuckled, adopting his usual sadistic grin "I only told you that to ensure that you would fight at your best. And the way I acted after the fight? I did that to test your temperament, if you had gotten angry or broken down completely you would have failed right there and then."

"Shinso, when we met three months ago you were just a Middle School student with a powerful but situational Quirk and not much else. I've watched you grow into the capable student I see before me; your advancement has been nothing short of incredible." Aizawa shocked me with his words, I couldn't believe how generous he was being "You still have a long way to go, but now I'm sure that you have the potential to be a great hero one day."

"You mean?" I asked, unable to continue as I found myself overcome with emotion

"That's right." Aizawa said, answering my unspoken question "You passed your final exam."

Though this realisation was already coming to me gradually, to hear it confirmed by the man in front of me felt like having an enormous weight lifted off of my chest.

"I was impressed by your performance during our bout as well." Aizawa continued, though I could see the edges of a smile on his face "You showed good judgement and impressive technique, and you did the best you could have done against a superior opponent."

"T-Thank you Sir." I stuttered, still overwhelmed by what was happening to me right now.

"Don't think your trials are over, UA will keep pushing your limits, and you'll be competing against students with powerful Quirks." Aizawa said this warning with a degree of gravitas "You've still got a long way to go before you are fit to be a hero, but take pride in clearing the first hurdle. Don't expect me to coddle you either, you'll best tested as much as any other student, maybe even more so."

While I found the idea that the last three months could be considered 'coddling' funny, Aizawa's words still rang true in my mind. I knew I shouldn't expect any kind of extra help or favouritism from Aizawa, and that I would need to stand up on my own merits. Though the challenge was daunting, I couldn't help but feel a smile creep onto my face as I considered what lay ahead of me.

"Thank you Sir!" I finally answered, suddenly filled with energy and vigour "I won't let you down!"

"We'll see." Aizawa said, though the words didn't carry any malice, merely mild curiosity. Aizawa then leaned over to shake my hand, his face a mask of determination that mirrored my own "Welcome to UA High Shinso, I'll be interested to see what you can accomplish."

I wasn't one to show my emotions very openly, and I had grown accustomed to wearing the same neutral expression on my face. But in that moment, all I could do was smile.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Wow, this took a little longer than expected._

_Apologies for the week's delay, but this was quite a difficult chapter to get finished, and I'm still not entirely happy with it even now. I'm not quite sure why this chapter took so long, but at least it's finally finished, and I hope you enjoyed the first fight scene in this fic._

_At last, Shinso's training has been completed, and he's made his way into Class 1A. Though I think it was important for me to make his training detailed and realistic, I'm glad it's wrapped up now, and I can start writing all those 1A shenanigans that we all know and love._

_So, it seems that I owe you some Chapters, and it's going to be resolved like this: There were 2 today, and there will be a chapter every day this week. This squares us up nicely on Sunday and leaves the fic exactly where it should be._

_Also, if you read/follow The Faceless Alchemist, you'll be happy to hear that it is returning tomorrow, so keep your eyes open for that._

_Time to answer some reviews:_

_OnlineOverlord15: I can't wait either, and I'm sure you'll be glad to see the start of 1A adventures today! Thank you for the kind words of support, I hope I'll be able to keep up the quality of this fic._

_Raven Mordrake: I'm not too sure on that one, I only removed Sato because I found him to be the most uninteresting character in 1A. He might return, but I don't have any plans for him right now._

_Donovan77: You've got it, Quirks get stronger with use and practise, and I'm excited to see how Shinso's power will evolve and strengthen over time. I'm trying to think of ways to evolve his power naturally without making him too OOC or OP, so I'll see how that goes._

_Alexanderjuarez499: The story takes place from Shinso's POV exclusively. That said, there will be some scene in third person that exist for storytelling purposes, like my other fic I'll put these scenes in italics to make them distinct._

_Vilma Arnez: Of course, The Hero Course is basically three years of constant pain and training, just because Shinso got into the course, doesn't mean his trials are over, not by a long shot._

_NoMeImporta32: I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the story, hopefully you'll enjoy today's additions as well as what's to come. I'm also glad to hear you agree with the direction I've taken Shinso's character in, your comments pretty much line up with my own thoughts._

_Thank you all for the constant support of this fic, and I'll see you all tomorrow for the next chapter._


	6. Chapter 6- The Quirk Apprehension Test

Chapter 6: The Quirk Apprehension Test

* * *

The few weeks before the beginning of the UA term passed in a blur of activity. I mainly spent the first week resting, doing whatever I could to recover from the injuries from my fight with Aizawa. Fortunately, he hadn't caused any damage beyond some aches and bruises, so I was back in peak shape fairly quickly. As soon as I was able to move without pain, I returned to my training schedule, much to my mother's chagrin. Despite her warnings to take it easy for a while, I knew I couldn't afford to fall behind, so I practised everything I was able to. Annoyingly, I was unable to practise my usage of the capturing weapon, as my fight with Aizawa had left me with several new techniques in mind that I wanted to test. However, my equipment was back in the custody of UA for now, and I hadn't heard from Aizawa since he surprised me with news of my success a few weeks ago.

Outside of training, I came to appreciate just how much effort went into attending an elite school like UA before the term had even begun. Me and my mother had spent at least two long nights filling out paperwork and forms that the school required. It seemed that Aizawa had been holding these letters back in case I failed, but the dam had well and truly burst now, and it seemed that every day brought a new avalanche of letters through the front door. I also had to acquire a small mountain of new equipment and supplies that would be needed for any high school position.

I had come to appreciate the way that UA conducted itself as an elite school, as even though it was one of the most well-known schools in Japan, it didn't restrict entry to the richest students it could find. Entry was open to anybody who had the skills and knowledge to earn in place, it was a completely merit-based system. I had heard that even students admitted on special recommendation had to undergo their own rigorous tests, ensuring that everyone who was at UA deserved to be there.

All these thoughts and more spun around my head as I made my way to Classroom 1A, where I would meet the rest of my class. Apparently there were two hero courses, 1A and 1B, and they were filled with forty of the most capable prospective heroes in the country.

And I was one of them.

That thought still bewildered me a bit, to think that I had managed to earn myself a place among the best of the best, it was honestly a little overwhelming! I tugged at the collar of my new uniform, feeling a little restricted by the official clothing of UA in more ways than just physical. I turned a corner to see a large door marked with '1A' on the surface, I idly wondered why the door was so large before just shrugging and opening it.

Before I even realised what was happening, a great gust of wind blew through my hair, and I instinctively stepped back as a blur of grey moved towards me. After a few seconds of bewilderment I saw that the shape was in fact another student, and the dizzying speed with which he moved led me to believe that he possessed some sort of speed enhancement Quirk.

"Good Morning fellow student!" He barked, which was the only word I could think of to describe his clipped and formal tone "I'm glad to see that another one of us has arrived, I was starting to think that I was in the wrong room."

I looked over his shoulder to see a totally empty classroom, and when I realised I was 15 minutes early, I wondered exactly how long this student had been waiting here.

"I'm Tenya Iida, from the Soumei Private Academy." He stood straighter than I thought was possible and extended a hand in a somewhat robotic greeting.

"Hitoshi Shinso." I replied, still a little unsure how to respond to somebody so… straightforward.

I took the offered hand and shook it, noting his official and stern appearance in the process. He did mention that he attended Soumei Academy, that could go a little way into explaining his robotic behaviour.

"Truly it is a great honour to study at such a prestigious school." He said, waving his hand around in some bizarre gesture "I hope I can do my best to honour the students who came before us!"

Oh, my mind seemed to say, an enthusiastic extrovert… _great._

I just nodded and walked past him, doing my best to avoid spitting out a sarcastic remark. I tried telling myself that I had only just met the guy, and he could be perfectly nice once I knew him better, but I couldn't help but sense a major difference in personalities between us.

I took my seat marked with a '10' that was also present on the student ID I had received a few days ago. The seat was at the back of the room, but that suited me fine, I wasn't exactly the centre-of-attention type anyway.

* * *

Over the next few minutes I watched idly as the other students that would be part of 1A filtered into the room. I took some interest in watching them all receive the same overblown greeting from Iida that I had, though observing their wide and varied appearances due to their Quirks was far more interesting.

One girl had Pink Skin and black eyes, another had a strange blank expression and a slightly crooked posture. One of the boys had a large, fleshy tail and another had several purple spheres in place of hair. I smiled slightly when I saw Shoji enter the room, and he nodded with a stoic expression when he saw me. At least there was one person in this class who I knew wouldn't judge me solely on my Quirk.

When the clock finally indicated that the time for class to begin had arrived, almost all of the seats in the room were filled. Most of the class were settled and waiting quietly, though a few who must have known each other from Middle School were engaged in quiet discussions.

The one exception was a rather animated argument going on between Iida and a student with spiky blonde hair and an overall aggressive demeanour, the dispute seemed to hinge on the face that the student had his feet resting on his desk, something that Iida seemed to take personal offence to. As I watched Iida have a small meltdown and the other student yell about how great he was, I wondered idly if it wasn't too late to request a transfer to Class 1B.

I noticed that two new students had arrived a fraction before Iida did, and he abandoned his argument to violently introduce himself to the newcomers. Something seemed to catch their attention from outside the room, and as the three of them backed into the room to avoid whatever had caught their notice, I heard a familiar voice from the hallway.

"It took you several seconds to calm down, that's completely irrational." The voice muttered, and my mind made the link almost instantly.

My suspicions were confirmed when Aizawa strode into the room, covered entirely in a familiar yellow sleeping bag. Everyone except for me seemed surprised at the appearance of an unkempt-looking man in a sleeping bag, I was simply shocked that Aizawa had pulled such a prank on me.

"My name's Shota Aizawa." He said with the same tired disinterest that I'd grown used to "I'm your teacher."

"I knew it…" I whispered, wondering what kind of amusement Aizawa got out of surprising me like this.

Once the initial shock of seeing such a man dispersed through the class, Aizawa spoke again, pulling what looked like jumpsuits from inside the seemingly bottomless sleeping bag.

"Put these on and come meet me outside." He said, throwing the outfits to the ground and walking away, though not before calling back to us "They're all labelled, so don't take too long."

It took almost a full minute before people decided to do what he said, everyone still seemed to be unsure if he was even a teacher.

* * *

_Toshinori Yagi, better known by his public persona of All Might, sat alone in one of UA's study rooms, flicking through a computer tablet in search of information on his young protégé, Izuku Midoriya._

_Yagi knew that he had a responsibility to treat all of his future students fairly, without picking favourites. Despite this, he felt compelled to see which Homeroom teacher his young ward had landed himself with, knowing from experience that having the right teacher would make a huge difference in Midoriya's life._

_"Crap, he got Aizawa." Yagi whispered in his hoarse voice, having laid his hollow eyes on the picture of Eraserhead "Midoriya's gonna be singled out from the start."_

_Yagi was upset that his successor had had such an obstacle placed in front of him right at the start of his school career, but there was little he could do to help him._

_Idly wondering what the rest of Aizawa's students were like, Yagi flicked through the various portraits of the members of Class 1A. After several portraits he saw the face of a student with purple hair and a tired expression, the name tag below read: Shinso, Hitoshi._

_Yagi didn't recognise the boy from anywhere, and he had remember the name and face of every student that took the Entrance Exam, as well as the recommendation students. Though Yagi knew he shouldn't be prying, he scrolled through Shinso's school information, wondering what the boy had done to earn a place at UA._

_His eyes widened when he saw the Admittance section of the page, which was normally filled with exam scores, personal stats and so on. Instead, the page was blank except for a single line of text, one that shocked Yagi more than he would admit._

_Admitted by recommendation of Eraserhead._

* * *

As I made my way to the testing ground with the rest of my new class, I wondered what exactly Aizawa had in store for us. Past experience told me that it would likely be brutal, but also rewards. Though I didn't want to feel like an egomaniac, I did question whether or not my new classmates were ready for Aizawa's… unique method of teaching.

The clothes that Aizawa had set aside for us turned out to be UA Physical Education uniforms, and the entire class wore these new uniforms, making us look a bit like an amateur hero team. As expected from UA, the uniforms were well-tailored and lightweight, and they allowed enough movement to not be restrictive in the slightest.

We all arrived together at the training ground, where Aizawa waited for us all. As soon as we had arrived he turned to face us.

"Right, let's no waste time." He muttered "Today you'll all be undergoing a Quirk Apprehension Test."

A general murmur of shock and disbelief shot through the class, and several students seemed particularly surprised by such a sudden test.

"But… Orientation" A girl with brown hair called out "We're gonna miss it!"

"It you really want to make the big leagues you can't waste time on pointless ceremonies." Aizawa said, turning to face the class "Here at UA we're not tethered to traditions, that means I get to run my class however I see fit."

This at least made sense, Aizawa and Maijima had both mentioned how UA gives it's teachers a lot of free reign. As well as that, Aizawa had mentioned his distaste for UA's ceremonies a few times before, seeing them as a waste of valuable time.

"You've been taking standardised tests most of your lives, but you never got to use your Quirks on physical exams before." Aizawa continued, holding up a small mobile device in his hand "The country is still trying to pretend we're all equal by not letting those with the most power excel, it's not rational. One day the Ministry of Education will learn."

Aizawa let this statement hang in the air before turning to face the angry student with blond hair that I had seen arguing with Iida.

"Bakugo, you got the most points on the entrance exam." Aizawa said, catching the youth's attention "What was your furthest throw with a softball in Middle School."

"About 67 metres, I think." He replied, showing an unexpected level of respect.

"Right, try doing it with your Quirk now." Aizawa muttered, tossing the softball to the youth, who I now knew as Bakugo.

Bakugo made his way to a small circle outline on the ground with distance markings radiating from it, the youth then turned to face Aizawa.

"Anything goes, just stay in the circle." Aizawa waited for about half a second before speaking up again "Come on, we're wasting time."

"Alright, you asked for it." The teen nodded.

Bakugo performed several stretches before bracing himself for a throw, and before I could see him actually toss the ball, an enormous burst of energy exploded from Bakugo's hand, sending out shockwaves and sending the ball far out of view. Several students stumbled back from the force, and everybody was stunned from seeing such raw explosive power.

"All of you need to know your maximum capabilities." Aizawa said, seemingly unphased by the destructive display "It's the most rational way of figuring out your potential as a Pro Hero."

Aizawa held up his display, the device read: 705.2 metres.

A general murmur of excitement spread through the class, with several students expressing joy and elation that they were finally allowed to cut loose and use their Quirks. I myself was a little confused by the whole affair, Aizawa knew full well that my Quirk wouldn't help me in physical situations, so what did he want from me?

"So this looks like fun?" Aizawa asked, his grim demeanour cutting through the excitement of our class "You have three years here to become a Hero, you think it's all gonna be games and playtime?"

"Idiots." He groaned, a familiar grin appearing on his face "Today you will compete in 8 physical tests to judge your potential. Whoever comes in last clearly has none, so they will be expelled immediately."

A chorus of gasps moved through the small crowd, and nearly every student had an immediate expression of shock and anxiety on their face. I was unsurprised that Aizawa had pulled this trick, I had learned from Maijima that Aizawa had expelled his last freshman class, and he seemed to threaten me with expulsion every week during my training.

"Like I said, I get to decide how I run my class." Aizawa pulled away his hair so the rest of the class could see his manic grin "If that's a problem, you can all go home right now."

"You can't send one of us home on the first day, we just got here!" One of the female students protested, which drew a tired glare from Aizawa. "This isn't fair!"

"Oh? Are natural disasters fair? Or power-hungry villains? Catastrophic disasters?" The rhetorical question brought the class to silence again "No, the world is full of such injustices, and it's your job as a Pro Hero to rise against these injustices."

"You know the school's motto: Go Beyond, Plus Ultra." Aizawa said, though his sarcastic tone didn't do much to make the motto sound inspiring "Let the games begin…"

Though Aizawa's speech and threat of expulsion had shocked the class initially, the group gradually became filled with determination. I could read it on all of their expressions, everyone was determined not to fall into last place. Despite my disadvantage against all of the students with physical Quirk I found myself feeling determined as well, I knew Aizawa didn't hold back on his threats of expulsion, and I was determined not to let him down on the first day!

* * *

The first event was simple, a 50-metre dash. Many students had Quirks that could improve their mobility, though Iida and Bakugo were clear standouts in the group. Another noticeable contestant was a student with some kind of beam that emanated from his stomach, he used it to propel himself over the track, but fell halfway, he ended up coming just behind the girl with pink skin, who glided along on some kind of liquid substance. My own entry in the contest was decent, and my training showed, though I was behind the students with mobility Quirks, I placed above those without them, putting me around the middle of the rankings.

A grip strength test was next, and Shoji shocked everybody with a result well in excess of 500kg! My own result was lacklustre, but still above several students who couldn't use their Quirks. After the test Shoji walked up to me.

"It's good to see a familiar face here." He said, speaking with one of his tentacle arms "Though I want to ask, how exactly did you beat those robots with your Quirk?"

"It's a long story." I said, realising we were already arriving at the next test "I'll tell you some other time."

In truth I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to tell Shoji, I didn't want to flaunt the face that I had been taught by Aizawa, especially now that he was our homeroom teacher. Despite that, Shoji seemed to be a fairly quiet and trustworthy soul, which left me a little unsure how to process. I shook this line of thinking from my head for now, trying to focus on the tests as best I could.

The Long Jump was next, and Bakugo distinguished himself again with the versatility of his Quirk. Once again, I scored around average or above, my agility training certainly helped though. In my mind, a strategy was emerging; I had no chance against students who could use their Quirks on certain tests, but I could see that some of the students were like I was a few months ago: completely reliant on their Quirk. In my mind, if I could hit each test with an average or above-average score, I would be safe from expulsion. My physical condition made this a viable option, and I could use my trained body in every test, whereas many could only use their Quirks in some of the tests. With this new plan in mind, I made my way to the next test.

The next test was repeated side-steps, and the student with purple orbs for hair distinguished himself here, creating two large masses from his orbs and rapidly bouncing between them. This was the first event that I truly excelled at, gaining a score in the top 5. The quick movements of this test put me in mind of the rapid dodges I had performed as part of my combat training, so I fell into them with practised ease.

* * *

The ball throw was next, and the entire competition was overshadowed by the spectre of Bakugo's earlier performance. I scored semi-decently, but it was clearly one of my weaker events, and I worried that it would bring my average score down. The brown-haired girl from earlier ended up with the most impressive score so far, using some kind of gravity-manipulation Quirk to send the ball into orbit, returning an infinity symbol on Aizawa's device.

The last to attempt the ball throw was a boy with messy green hair and a rather shy demeanour, and I had been watching him intently for the entire competition. Like me, he had shown no visible signs of Quirk use throughout the entire exam, but from what I could tell, whatever training he had undergone was primarily based on upper-body strength, so he had fallen short on all the events so far. As he stepped up to the circle I heard another argument between Iida and Bakugo, seemingly based around whether or not the boy (apparently called Midoriya) even had a Quirk. Iida was insisting that Midoriya had used an impressive strength-enhancement Quirk to destroy an enormous foe in a single punch, whereas Bakugo insisted that 'Deku' had been Quirkless his whole life.

Due to this dispute I found myself watching Midoriya intently, my curiosity tempting me into watching whatever was about to happen. Midoriya's face suddenly warped into a determined expression that seemed entirely at odds with his shy persona. He released the ball, and for a second I could swear that his whole arm was enveloped in some kind of strange light.

Suddenly, I felt a slight pressure on my eardrums, and I turned to see that Aizawa had activated his Quirk, and he was staring intently at Midoriya. I couldn't hear exactly what words were exchanged between the pair, but I saw Aizawa grasp Midoriya with his capturing weapon and pull him forwards.

From what I could hear, Midoriya's Quirk caused tremendous physical backlash, and Aizawa was lecturing him on how using such a Quirk could put him or others in danger. It sounded like Aizawa was giving Midoriya a choice, either to proceed normally and shatter his arm, or not use his Quirk and end up in last place.

After a final exchange of words between the two, Aizawa walked away and allowed Midoriya to make his throw. Many students still seemed surprised at the revelation that Aizawa was Eraserhead, and I realised how normal such a thing was to me now.

As I turned to face Midoriya, I felt a massive blast of wind, similar to the shockwave's produced by Bakugo's attacks. It seemed that Midoriya had used his Quirk after all, but at what cost? The dust around Midoriya cleared to reveal him still standing, though one of his fingers was horrible twisted and bloodied.

"Mr. Aizawa." He called, loud enough that I could hear him clearly "I can still move!"

This action and proclamation seemed to resonate with the class, and I could see a slight smile on Aizawa's face.

"Deku! You Bastard!"

The voice of Bakugo caught everybody off guard, and we turned as one to see the hot-headed student running towards Midoriya, apparently furious that Midoriya displayed usage of a Quirk that Bakugo was convinced didn't even exist. Midoriya looked absolutely terrified of the oncoming Bakugo, and I briefly wondered how somebody with such a powerful strength-enhancement Quirk had such a nervous disposition. Before Bakugo could even reach Midoriya, he was snagged by Aizawa's capturing tool, and the sparking explosions in his hands were snuffed out as Aizawa activated his Quirk.

The rest of the class marvelled at Aizawa's capturing tool, and the tension dispersed fairly quickly for most. We were quickly moved on towards the next test, and all except for Bakugo moved towards the next task quickly. I found myself looking back at the explosive student, and I could see his face quite clearly. His face was a bizarre mixture of anger, and utter disbelief.

* * *

The rest of the challenges passed by rather quick, though they still posed an interesting challenge.

The toe-touch and sit ups challenges were largely uneventful, seemingly being designed to test general physical fitness rather than Quirk strength. At least I was in good physical shape thanks to my training, so I did decently well at both tests.

The last challenge was the distance run, and although I questioned the wisdom of putting an endurance challenge at the end of a fitness test, I did everything I could to excel at this test as well. The student who pulled ahead this time was a tall girl with a black ponytail, who created a pair of roller-skates from her own body and then skated gracefully along on them, far outpacing everybody else. Besides that standout, I came second on this test, I had been conditioned well by the long runs I had performed to and from the training centre every day, and my honed stamina allowed me to pull ahead of those who's Quirks worked best in short bursts.

* * *

The tests were finally over, and several members of the class lay on the ground, panting in exhaustion. I had grown somewhat accustomed to being exhausted, so I at least managed to recover with a bit of dignity. I could hear a few students exchanging whispered words about me, apparently confused that I hadn't used a Quirk for the entire test, even though I had performed well.

"Alright, there's no point in reading out your results individually, so here they are." Aizawa said, his device projecting a holographic table that showed our test results.

I briefly scanned through the table, stopping when I saw my name.

14th- Hitoshi Shinso

I breathed a sigh of relief, my plan had worked even better than I thought it would, and I had saved myself from expulsion. Inevitably, a morbid desire to see who had come last overtook me, and I read the name at the bottom of the list

20th- Izuku Midoriya

That was a shame, he seemed nice enough, at least compared to a lot of people that I knew. Besides, he seemed to have impressed Aizawa with that stunt he pulled during the ball throw, so the question was…

"Also I lied." Aizawa said "Nobody is going home."

Of course.

The class seemed surprised by this, but Aizawa simply rattled off his usual 'rational deception' spiel before sending 18 flustered students away for the day, and sending an injured Midoriya to get his finger healed. Aizawa had briefly given me a glare earlier that I had interpreted as 'wait here' so I did so, wondering what he wanted to talk about.

"So," I said, looking around to confirm that no other students were about "I didn't know you were going to be our Homeroom teacher."

"I thought it would be interesting to see your reaction." Aizawa said, and before I could process the fact that he had just made a joke, he continued "Regardless, you did well today. Your results show how successful your training was, especially considering the fact that you were effectively without a Quirk for this test."

"Thank you Sir." I replied, bowing respectfully "I have you to thank after all."

"Maybe, but I think you don't give yourself enough credit." Aizawa shrugged, turning to walk away "Whatever, run along and be ready for tomorrow."

"Yes Sir." I bowed again, walking away from my mentor.

"By the way Shinso." Aizawa spoke up again, catching my attention "I meant what I said the day you passed your exam. I won't coddle you or let you off easy, so don't think you're safe."

I nodded at that and turned away, leaving the site of my first trial at UA. Though it may have seemed cruel of Aizawa to say such a thing, he was right. It would be wrong of him to place me above the rest of his students, and I would need to work just as hard- if not harder- than anyone else in my class.

* * *

_Shota Aizawa rubbed his tired eyes, intent on going home and catching up on the sleep he had been missing lately. Despite his permanently grouchy exterior, Aizawa was grinning internally at the actions of two students in particular. Midoriya had overcome the challenge Aizawa had set for him, showing that he had obtained better use of his Quirk, Aizawa still felt that the Quirk was impractical, but the boy had at least shown that he was able to improve._

_Then there was Shinso, Aizawa would be lying if he said he wasn't proud of the young man. Despite the harsh way Aizawa talked to the young student, he admitted to himself that he had come to see the student as his own protégé, and he couldn't help but be impressed by his constant improvement._

_"That was a rotten move Aizawa." A deep and baritone voice cut Aizawa away from his train of thought, and he turned to see the enormous form of All Might staring down at him, an unreadable expression on his face._

_Aizawa, to his credit, was seemingly unphased by the appearance of the symbol of peace._

_"All Might." Aizawa said, a sly grin on his face "How long have you been spying on my class?"_

_"Don't dance around the issue, you had no right to treat young Midoriya that way." All Might's voice was like the rumble of distant thunder._

_"Oh?" Aizawa raised an eyebrow "It sounds to me like you're already in his corner."_

_All Might flinched slightly at that accusation, and Aizawa must have read that expression straight off of his face._

_"Try not to show too much favouritism." Aizawa said, turning to walk away "I'll admit he doesn't have zero potential, if he did, I would have expelled him right away."_

_"And what about Hitoshi Shinso?" All Might asked, his signature grin back on his face "How much potential does he have?"_

_Now it was Aizawa's turn to be wrong-footed, but he didn't let his expression betray his thoughts._

_"More than you would think." Aizawa said, feeling a need to defend his actions "And while it's true that I trained Shinso myself, make no mistake. If he had fallen short today, I would have expelled him without a thought."_

_With that last proclamation Aizawa turned and walked away, leaving All Might alone._

_"In a way, we are very similar." All Might muttered to himself "We both have protégés in this school, but we are bound to treat them as we would treat the others, for it is only fair."_

_With that thought out in the open, All Might prepared to launch himself into the air and towards the city. He still had about an hour left in his Hero Form today, he might as well get some use out of it._


	7. Chapter 7- Battle Trials: Part 1

Chapter 7: Battle Trials- Part 1

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Just to let you know, this chapter will feature a slight diversion from Canon by having the Battle Trials occur on the second day of school, so there have been no normal lessons or chances for the students to get to know each other yet. I did this to add an element of surprise for the students, especially for Shinso. I've also randomised the Battle Trials, so you'll get to see some new fights._

_That's all, enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

The second day of Homeroom was much like the first, with the notable exception of Aizawa, who still hadn't arrived despite the class having started around 5 minutes ago. As the fear of our Homeroom teacher slowly dissipated, hushed conversation began to break out among isolated groups, mainly about yesterday's test. It seemed that Aizawa had struck some uncertainty into my classmates, though the excitement at having passed was clear for all to see.

"**I AM HERE!**" an impossibly loud voice came from the door "**Coming through the door like a normal person!**"

As one, the entire class turned their heads towards the door, and we were all simultaneously awestruck by the appearance of All Might, the world's symbol of peace. Though there had been rumours that he was taking a teaching job at UA circulating around for a while, to see him in the flesh was something else. Excited chatter broke out among the class, with everyone in the room seemingly excited about the presence of the world's greatest hero. I wasn't usually that enthused with the actions of celebrity heroes, but All Might was an exception, he practically _radiated _power, and it was impossible not to feel overwhelmed by his presence.

"**Greetings students!**" He boomed, walking over to the teacher's podium "**Today you will be undergoing a special heroics lessons with yours truly!**"

The buzz of excitement became even greater then, the idea of a heroics course taught by All Might himself was an amazing opportunity, one that everybody in the room was seemingly elated about.

"**As well, we all know that good heroes need costumes, so here are yours!" **All Might pressed a button on some kind of remote, causing 4 large pieces of the wall to open up, revealing 20 numbered suitcases hidden within "**Now, put these on and proceed to the buses outside, they will take you to your training ground!"**

With that last statement, All Might dashed back out of the room, leaving 20 confused but excited students in his wake. As soon as All Might left the room, everybody leapt out of their seats, rushing for their costumes in a mad dash. When I grabbed the case marked with a large '10' I was surprised by how light it was, a testament to how skilled the UA support department was in making its gear as non-intrusive as possible.

The class made its way to the buses that would take us to the training ground, apparently there were changing rooms on site, so we all piled in to one of the shuttle buses. During the journey everybody seemed excited to have their first taste of real hero work, and to try out their costumes. I could hear from background chatter that the rest of my class had had their costumes designed to their own specifications, and they would then be created in a collaboration between UA and various support companies. Though I would have liked the opportunity to design my own costume, I was still happy with what Aizawa and Maijima had come up with, it was likely far better than anything I could have come up with.

Still, I would be interested to see exactly what my classmates had come up with for their costumes. They had all demonstrated their proficiency with powerful and destructive Quirks, and they would have likely designed their costumes to work around their Quirks, or even to bolster them.

* * *

The bus finally made a stop outside what appeared to be a great walled city, and I overheard from several students that this was one of the locations where the practical entrance exam had taken place. Of course, I had never seen this place before, and I was awestruck by the sheer scale of it, the place serving as another reminder of just how wealthy UA actually was. There was a small entrance building that several members of the class were already making their way to, so I just followed them, assuming that they knew where they were going.

I made my way to one of the changing rooms and opened the case, eager to see my costume and equipment after being without it for almost a month. Everything was exactly as I remembered: the sleek and practical suit, combat boots, flashbangs, smoke bombs, caltrops, the capturing tools and the Artificial Vocal Chords.

After undressing I quickly put the under suit on, marvelling at how light the armoured suit was. Maijima had told me that the plates were thin and lightweight, but I didn't really appreciate how low-profile they were until I got the chance to wear the suit myself. I tried to test the plates by striking myself in the chest, and I barely even noticed the impact, confirming that the plates worked as advertised. The rest of the suit was form-fitting and flexible, and some experimental stretches told me that it wouldn't restrict my movement at all. The combat boots were far lighter than I was expecting, since Maijima had told me that they contained steel plates I was expecting them to weigh me down.

The rest of the costume was fairly simple, the utility belt that contained caltrops, flashbangs and smoke bombs was light and well-fitting. It was also surprising quiet, so as to allow for better stealth usage. The belt still had several empty pouches, and I supposed it was up to me to decide what to fill them with. The capturing tools wrapped easily around my arms, and it was comforting to be reunited with my favourite weapon. Last of all, I strapped the Artificial Vocal Chords to my face and donned the controlling glove, as well as a second matching glove. I gave a quick flex of my fingers to ensure that the Chords were working properly.

I was busy packing my school uniform back into the numbered case when I realised that there was a full-length mirror tucked away into one corner of the changing room. I was curious to see exactly how I looked, so I walked over to the mirror. The image that stared back at me was shocking, I looked like…

Like a hero.

It was an odd feeling, seeing myself clad in such a professional and high-quality outfit, and I got the feeling I wouldn't look amiss amongst the rest of my peers. After once last look, I gathered up my case and made my way outside, ready for whatever challenge awaited me.

* * *

As I walked down the great hallway to the training zone, I heard hurried footsteps behind me, I turned my head to see somebody I didn't recognise, as their costume obscured their face completely. The costume figure stopped for a second when he saw me, though he quickly caught up and walked alongside me. The costume was… strange to say the least, it consisted of some kind of full-body green suit, the head was completely obscured by a green mask with long, ear-like extensions. As well as that some kind of rebreather mask was hanging around the figure's neck.

"Woah! That's some costume." The voice told me that the figure was Midoriya, the student who had impressed Aizawa. "It's really sleek, I imagine you could sneak right past people with all that black!"

"Thanks, I guess." I said, not really sure how to respond to praise like that "Yours is impressive too, nice and low-profile."

I wasn't lying, I often found that many hero costumes could be ostentatious or garish, which often made the hero in question look more silly than heroic. In my mind, a low-profile costume was the mark of a hero that was more about action than appearance, and both of our costumes fit that role well.

"My name's Midoriya." He said, holding out a hand.

"Shinso." I replied, shaking the offered limb.

"Oh yeah, you were that guy…" Midoriya seemed to be deep in thought, and I was about to ask him what he meant by 'that guy' when he spoke up again "You didn't seem to use your Quirk during the test yesterday, but you managed to come 14th, how did you do that? Is your Quirk some kind of general enhancement ability?"

"You'll see." I said, avoiding the question both due to the fact that it might give away my element of surprise, and the fact that I didn't want to creep out somebody so friendly and enthusiastic by telling them about my Quirk. I knew that the truth about my Quirk would break soon enough, and that I would have to face the judgement of my peers at some point, but that didn't mean I was in any hurry to bring that day closer.

Midoriya seemed like he wanted to talk more, but he was cut short on the realisation that we had arrived at the training zone, and that suited me just fine.

As I walked into the open plaza, I realised that me and Midoriya must have been the last two to arrive, as the rest of the students were already standing around, arrayed in their costumes. The variety of costumes on display was impressive to say the least, ranging from simple bodysuits and cloaks, all the way to two students who seemed to be wearing full suits of armour.

All Might was there as well, and he seemed to flinch slightly when he looked at Midoriya's costume. Come to think of it, Midoriya's costume did seem to be very similar to All Might, as his mask and rebreather seemed to imitate All Might's hair and smile. Interesting…

Upon seeing that we had all arrived, All Might straightened up and got ready to address the class.

"**Greetings young heroes! I must say I am impressed by the costumes I see in front of me, I can tell I'm looking at the next generation of heroes right now!**" All Might's voice echoed through the class "**Today, we will be conducting special combat training in an urban setting.**"

"Sir!" A stern voice came from the student clad fully in some kind of high-tech armour, the voice making me realised that the student was Iida "Are we fighting robots like in the entrance exam?"

This seemed to set off a flood of questions from the class, who seemed to be concerned about the consequences of this battle, clearly Aizawa had caused some concern amongst the class.

"Are we going to be tested again?"

"Are you going to threaten to expel us like Aizawa?"

"Doesn't my cape look fabulous?"

"**Please calm down! My power isn't super hearing you know!**" All Might cut through the chatter, and when he was sure that he was heard, he pulled some kind of leaflet from his pocket **"Today, we will be conducting 2-on-2 battles in indoor environments!**"

"Isn't this a little advanced?" A student with a croaky voice asked.

"**The best experience is what you get on the battlefield!" **All Might replied, seemingly unphased by the dangerous situation he was proposing.

Battles against one another? Interesting… Since nobody in the class really knew each other yet, I had a good chance of using my Brainwashing Quirk successfully.

"**The task is simple, the two teams will take the roles of heroes and villains, the villains have to protect an explosive device, and the heroes have to stop them!**" All Might held out a device that projected a hologram, illustrating his words for him "**Like most real-world scenarios, the battle will take place indoors, and the villains have the opportunity to hide the weapon anywhere inside the building!**"

So, it seemed like this would be some kind of urban combat exercise, with the battles taking place in tight rooms and corridors. This could be bad, as I would be unable to make the best use of my agility when in a confined space, and students with emitter-type Quirks could easy fill the hallways with all kinds of projectiles. On the other hand, I had practised stealth and ambush scenarios many times, and this scenario would allow me to make good use of that experience. I could certainly tell that I was in for an interesting time with this task.

"**The heroes win if they capture the villains or secure the device. Likewise, the villains win if they capture the heroes or protect their device until time runs out.**" All Might held up a small wooden box, showing it to the class "**Time is limited, so the teams will be decided by drawing lots!**"

"Is that really the best way to decide the teams?" Iida asked, sounding confused by the slapdash approach to training.

"Not really." Midoriya said, sounding excited "Heroes from different agencies often have to team up in a hurry to respond to incidents."

"I see… that makes sense." Iida rubbed his chin in contemplation, a rather odd gesture considering his entire head was encased in metal.

"**Very well, if there are no more questions, here are the teams!**"

All Might then proceeded to pull out folded bits of paper from the box, announcing loudly when each team was formed.

"**Group A- Denki Kaminari & Koji Koda**"

"**Group B- Tsuyu Asui & Hitoshi Shinso**"

"**Group C- Tenya Iida & Minoru Mineta**"

"**Group D- Shoto Todoroki & Ejiro Kirishima**"

"**Group E- Yuga Aoyama & Mashirao Ojiro**"

"**Group F- Momo Yaoyorozu & Katsuki Bakugo**"

"**Group G- Toru Hagakure & Mina Ashido**"

"**Group H- Kyoka Jiro & Hanta Sero**"

"**Group I- Mezo Shoji & Fumikage Tokoyami**"

"**Group J- Izuku Midoriya & Ochaco Uraraka**"

Tsuyu Asui? The name wasn't one of the ones I knew, but I just had to hope that they were reasonably cooperative and easy to work with.

"**Let's not waste any time!"** All Might called out, grabbing my attention. He reached into two boxes labelled 'Heroes' and 'Villains' "**The first teams are… these guys!**"

The orbs he held up were marked 'B' for Heroes and 'I' for villains. I was a little intimidated to see that I would be fighting first, and thus I would have to make the first impression to the class about the training task. I wracked my brains to remember who was included in Team I, trying to gain the measure of my opponents as quickly as possible.

Oh.

It was Shoji.

The same Shoji that I had told all about my Quirk the day of the entrance exam.

Good job Shinso.

As I mentally scolded myself I realised that All Might had led the rest of the students away, leaving behind just the four of us that would be participating in the battle. Besides me and Shoji, looking calm and collected in a pale-blue hero costume, a dark blue face mask replacing his usual grey mask. Shoji's costume was fairly utilitarian, without any obvious flair or flamboyance, which fit what I knew about him. I saw that the other two students were a boy with a bird's head clad in a black cloak, and a girl wearing a green undersuit and standing with an odd posture.

"**Very well.**" All Might said, gesturing to Shoji and the bird-headed boy, who I deduced must have been called Tokoyami "**Villains, you can head inside and plan your defence. Heroes, take these briefings and maps, you have ten minutes to prepare before heading in.**"

After All Might had handed me and the girl, apparently called Asui, folders of paper he leaped away, stating that he and the rest of the class would be observing from another room.

The four of us stood outside the building, and as I saw Tokoyami and Shoji make their way inside, a devious idea came to mind.

"Hey!" I called, jogging towards the pair "I know we're going to be fighting today, but I hope there won't be any hard feelings between us." I held out my hand to the pair, hoping they would accept my offer of peace.

Shoji, true to form, didn't say anything; he simply shook my hand and nodded, turning to walk into the building. Tokoyami stared at me for several seconds with his harsh eyes, looking like he was sizing me up.

"It is good to see one with such a noble soul in our midst." He said, his odd phrasing catching me off guard, he shook my hand and turned away, though not before speaking again "I accept your offer of peace, and I expect all of us to try our hardest during this great trial."

With the, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving me and Asui alone outside the building.

"**Good sportsmanship!**" All Might's voice boomed from a nearby speaker, causing me to almost jump backwards in shock "**Very noble, but don't think that you can avoid combat, get to planning!**"

Despite myself, I couldn't help but smile. All Might, Shoji and Tokoyami had all assumed that I was merely trying to be a good sport, and while I was sincere in what I had said, there was another reason I had talked to the pair.

As I walked towards Asui, I held every syllable of Tokoyami's voice in my head, already figuring out how to replicate his voice with my Artificial Vocal Chords. Shoji may have known my Quirk, but that didn't mean he knew all of my tricks.

* * *

_Tokoyami and Shoji had arrived at the top floor of the building, having introduced themselves during the climb to the top floor. After turning several corners, they found the room that contained the bomb they were going to protect._

_"Very well, let us prepare our defence here." Tokoyami said, flicking his gaze around the room "This is a good defensive location, and we only have one entrance to guard."_

_Shoji didn't reply, he was too busy contemplating something internally. He knew what Shinso's Quirk was, and what it's weakness was. He knew he should tell his teammate, but something was holding him back. Shinso was one of the first people he had met at UA, and he hadn't reacted poorly to Shoji's distinctive appearance. Though Shoji often seemed rather stoic and emotionless, he had been more affected than he would admit by some of the classmates jeering at him during Middle School. Shinso had been rather friendly and open, and part of Shoji's mind told him he would be betraying the purple-haired youth by revealing his Quirk._

_"I hope that neither of our opponents have the means to make additional entrances." Tokoyami turned from the bomb and looked towards his silent teammate "Would you happen to know either of their Quirks?"_

_Shoji made up his mind, Shinso himself had said that there would be no hard feelings, and Shoji couldn't afford to go easy. If needed, he would apologise to Shinso after the battle._

_"Shinso's Quirk is called Brainwashing." Shoji said, speaking with one of his tentacle-arms "It allows him to assume complete control over somebody, giving commands they are unable to refuse."_

_"Truly?" Tokoyami asked, sounding staggered by the knowledge of such a powerful Quirk "What are we to do against such a powerful foe?"_

_"It has a weakness." Shoji continued, narrowing his eyes "He can only take control if you reply to something he says. As long as you stay silent, he cannot affect you."_

_"Very well, silence shall become me." Tokoyami moved towards the doorway, gazing back at Shoji "We must plan our defence, what is your Quirk?"_

_"I can use my dupli-arms to form better eyes and ears, I will hear them coming from the doorway, and I can see even in darkness."_

_"Excellent." Tokoyami said, a black spectre forming from his chest and circling around him "My Dark Shadow becomes stronger in darkness. We should destroy the lights and cover the windows on this floor, let them fight us in shadow."_

_Shoji nodded, and the two set to work, ready to win their battle by any means they could._

* * *

Asui was already sat on the railings outside the building, flicking through the files with a blank expression on her face. I walked over to her and leant on the railings as well, pondering the best way to introduce myself to the blank faced girl.

"You're Asui right?" I asked, holding out my hand "I'm Shinso."

"Yeah, but please call me Tsu." She said, shaking my hand.

I was a little surprised to see her acting so friendly and informal given that we had just met, but I thought it would be best to respect her request, it might have just been a personal preference.

"Of course." I nodded "Do you have any kind of plan for this?"

"Not yet." She croaked, placing a finger on her chin "It would help if we knew each other's Quirks though."

"That makes sense." I took a breath, hoping she wouldn't react poorly when I told her about my Quirk "Mine is Brainwashing, it lets me take control of somebody if they reply to what I say."

"Right, mine is called Frog." Asu- Tsu said, apparently completely unphased by my Quirk, in fact, she didn't even really show any reaction to what I had just said at all "It's pretty simple, it lets me do whatever a frog can: jumping, using my tongue to move around, sticking to walls and the ceiling, that kind of thing."

"Interesting." I muttered, while her Quirk sounded unimpressive at first, the applications she had listed showed it was quite a versatile Quirk "I'm guessing that you're more of a close combat fighter then?"

"That's right." She said, putting her briefing aside and looking straight at me "I'm quite hard to hit, and my Quirk lets me throw out pretty strong kicks as well."

"Right." A plan was already forming in my mind, and it seemed that are combat styles were decently compatible "We both have an advantage in close combat, so we should focus on attacking aggressively."

"Does your Quirk help in combat at all?" She asked.

"Not really, but I've received a lot of combat training." I answered, "I'm used to fighting up close."

"Good, that can be our plan then." Tsu looked towards the building, putting her finger on her chin again "It would be helpful if we knew our opponent's Quirks though."

"Shoji and I know each other's Quirks." I said "He can produce knew appendages on the ends of his arms, like eyes and ears. He's pretty likely to hear us coming, and he's pretty strong to boot."

"Right, he'll likely focus on close combat as well then." Tsu then turned back towards me "But you said that Shoji knows about your Quirk as well?"

"Yeah." I muttered, looking to the ground in annoyance "And he's likely told Tokoyami, so I won't be able to use my Quirk on either of them."

"That's not great, but we'll be able to figure something out." Tsu smiled with that last statement, the first expression I had seen on her face so far "Speaking of Tokoyami, do you have any idea about him?"

"None." I admitted, and I couldn't think of what he had done during the apprehension test "He's an unknown quantity, so we'll have to be careful around him, keep our distance until we can figure something out."

"Right." Tsu looked back to her briefing, before turning back to me "Do you have any other tricks that might help us out?"

"Just one." I smiled under my mask again. Using the glove, I tuned the Artificial Vocal Chords towards what I believed to be an accurate replication of Tokoyami's voice "This mask lets me imitate voices to use my Quirk, we might still have a chance of using it under the right circumstances."

Tsu nodded in confirmation, and we spent the rest of our time coming up with the best plan we could think of to defeat Tokoyami and Shoji. I was struck by how tactically-minded and intelligent Tsu was, as she seemed to be very level-headed and competent when it came to coming up with plans. I found myself mostly nodding along as she described her ideas, though I would occasionally chip in with an idea or improvement to her plans. Between the two of us, we formulated a plan to take the building by storm. The plan was fairly thorough, though it was loose enough to allow for changes in circumstance, and Tsu emphasised that we didn't have to follow it to the letter if a better opportunity came along.

When our planning time ran out, we were stood at the entrance to the building, a clear plan of action in our heads.

"Ready?" I asked, turning to my teammate.

"Ribbit." She nodded, and I took that to mean yes.

"**Are you ready young heroes?**" the booming voice of All Might came over the speaker "**Then…BEGIN!**"

* * *

As soon as All Might had started the match, we put the first step of our plan into action. We knew that the bomb was likely hidden on the top floor, and Shoji would be able to accurately track us as soon as we entered the building, giving him and Tokoyami opportunities to ambush us.

To counteract this, Tsu and I had decided to scale the building from the outside, then entering through a window on the top floor. This saved time that would otherwise be spent scaling the structure, and it would give Shoji less time to track us. As well as that, it eliminated the chance of Shoji or Tokoyami ambushing us as we made our way through the building, which was a strategy I would have employed in their position.

Tsu had mentioned that her Quirk allowed her to stick to walls, and that she was able to use this ability to climb buildings quickly. I wasn't really expecting her to scale the building so quickly though, and I was left feeling rather slow. Thankfully, Aizawa had given me several lessons on traversing urban environments, so I was still able to climb to the top floor fairly quickly, where Tsu was waiting in front of one of the windows.

"I did a quick lap of the building." She whispered, as we were unsure exactly how good Shoji's hearing was "They've covered all the windows on this floor."

"I see." I whispered back "This at least confirms that they're here, but we'll need to break one of these windows open."

"It's our only choice." Tsu nodded "It'll alert Shoji, but it's still better than entering lower and catching his attention."

"Right." I had perched myself on one of the windowsills, an action that Tsu mirrored "How should we get in?"

Tsu didn't answer, instead she just wrapped her tongue around a TV aerial on the roof and kicked herself away from the building. I watched with undisguised fascination as she swung away from the building, held up by only her tongue. By the time she began to swing back, I realised what she was doing, and I readied myself to follow her through the window.

As expected, Tsu gave a great two-footed kick to the glass and the wooden boards behind it, and she crashed into the building in an explosion of glass. I followed her through without hesitation, ready to fight if we had just crashed into the room where Tokoyami and Shoji were waiting.

It took me a few seconds to regain my bearings, and a few more to realise that we weren't in any immediate danger, which caused me to release a breath I didn't realise I had been holding. The corridor we had landed in seemed to be deserted, and we had landed just next to the staircase that led back down to the fourth floor. The entire passage was completely darkened, it was clear that Tokoyami and Shoji had gone through a lot of effort to make the entire fifth-floor pitch black. Tsu had already leapt onto one of the walls, and she was silently padding across the walls. I was confided to moving across the floor, and I winced as each of my steps caused small crackles as the broken glass beneath my feet got shattered.

I had only moved about a dozen paces when Tsu held out her hand to stop me, and as I did so I realised she had a confused look on her face. I was about to ask what she had stopped us for, only stopping myself when I remember unneeded chatter could alert Shoji.

"Do you hear that?" She whispered, seemingly wary of alerting whatever it was she could hear.

I strained my ears to see if I could find out what she was talking about, and a strange noise filled my ears. It sounded almost like rushing wind, but with some kind of darker undercurrent that I couldn't quite discern.

I wondered exactly what could make such a noise, and I got my answer as some…thing turned a corner and faced the pair of us. The best way I could describe this being was that it was akin to some great raven, albeit cast from pure shadow, and large enough to almost fill the corridor that we all stood in. The shadows that composed the beast seemed to shift constantly, even when the creature was still, though it didn't stay that way for very long.

As soon as the being noticed us, a jet-black maw opened, revealing a mouth full of spiky black teeth. Its yellow eyes narrowed, as its gaze focused in on the pair of us.

"Found you!" It yelled, it's voice filling the corridor.

With that, the shadow-beast charged at us.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Of course I had to leave you on a cliff-hanger, it wouldn't be fun otherwise!_

_I'm glad I could introduce more of Class 1A in this chapter, and I hope I captured their respective personalities well. Tsuyu and Shoji are quite difficult to write, as they can both be quite emotionless and stoic, but I hope I was able to give them a little more depth, especially Shoji, who hasn't had nearly as much development as I would like._

_On that note, I have to say that I love writing Tokoyami's dialogue, he's just the right amount of comedic speech combined with a serious character. For those of you wondering how Dark Shadow hasn't gone berserk, his profile says it's tied to his emotional state, so unless he is seriously angered or traumatised Dark Shadow won't go berserk, though it will be a bit more independent than usual._

_I'm also happy to say we passed 1000 views just before I published this chapter, thank you all for your continued support of this fic, it really does mean the world to me._

_Anyway, I'll respond to the review I got on yesterday's chapters:_

_NoMeImporta32: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed these two chapters, and that you like the direction I've gone with Aizawa's character. I know fight scenes can be a bit of a slog, but I hope this one with Tokoyami and Shoji will be a bit more interesting, as it's a battle of Quirks rather than the hand-to-hand fight between Shinso and Aizawa._

_Thank you all for your support, and I'll see you tomorrow for the continuation of the Battle Trials!_


	8. Chapter 8- Battle Trials: Part 2

Chapter 8: Battle Trials- Part 2

* * *

I reacted in the only way I could think of.

I grabbed Tsu by her waist and leapt down the staircase, desperate to avoid the great beast that was charging directly at us. We only narrowly avoid it, and I felt the wind caused by its movement rush past me as it shot past us, flying through the broken window. The dodge was rushed, and both of us landed in a crumpled heap in the ground, rolling down the staircase with the momentum from our fall. We both recovered fairly quickly, just in time to see the beast turn away from the window it had shot through, holding one of its great hands up in front of its eyes as it backed out of the light.

"This way!" Called out Tsu, and I felt her grab my wrist and pull me back up the stairs.

This led us straight into the beasts path, and it reared up for another charge. Tsu leapt towards the ceiling, sticking to it and avoiding the beast as it swept towards me. After realising what Tsu intended, I leapt towards her with my arm outstretched, the beast mere feet away from charging into me. Her tongue shot out and wrapped around my wrist, pulling me up and over the charging beast with surprising force. The beast shot past us again, flying down the stairs we had occupied a scant few seconds ago.

We needed to get clear of this thing, so as I landed behind the creature I looked around the hallway, desperate to find any place we could use to avoid the creature for a moment. There was an entrance to a large room on my right, so I ran into it as quickly as I could, trusting Tsu to follow me.

As we both ducked into the room we heard the creature rear back again, apparently having lost sight of us in the confusion. There were a few tense seconds where the beast waited outside the room, but it quickly turned away, searching for us in the other nearby rooms. There were several tense seconds as we heard the creature moving through the darkness, crashing through doors and other obstacles in its search.

The pure confusion and disorientation left in the wake of the beast's attack was worrying to say the least, and we had to hold our breath as it passed by us once again. It came worryingly close to discovering us as it turned its massive head into the room we were hiding in, it's bright yellow eyes seeming to pierce the darkness with unnerving focus. For a moment, I thought to pre-emptively flee before it attacked us, as I was convinced that we had been found by the beast. Tsu must have read my expression in the darkness, as she shook her head while staring straight at me, the motion only barely visible in the darkness. Eventually, the beast turned away, audibly moving down one of the hallways until the noise from its movement ceased completely.

For a few seconds more, we were perfectly still, afraid to move as if the slightest motion would summon the creature back to us. Eventually, Tsu moved from our hiding place tentatively, and I followed her as silently as I could manage. As the pair of us caught our breath, I looked at Tsu and realised she was thinking the same thing as me.

How the hell can we beat something like that?

* * *

_All Might and the rest of Class 1A were watching the first of the battle trials from a large observation room, interested to see what their classmates were doing. There was only one issue._

_"I can't see a thing!" Called out Mina Ashido, sounding frustrated that she was missing out on all the exciting action that was surely taking place._

_All Might and the class had watched Shoji and Tokoyami methodically board up every window on the top floor, but they didn't realise exactly how dark it would be until the pair had killed all the lights a few seconds ago. Right now the entire class was looking at a set of entirely black monitors for the fifth floor, and Shinso and Asui weren't visible on any of the other floors._

_"**Not to worry!**" Called out All Might, internally scolding himself for forgetting something so obvious "**UA installed all of these cameras with a Night Vision setting, so we should still be able to see the efforts of the first group with but a flick of a switch!**"_

_All Might flicked said switch, turning all of the cameras over to the 'Night Vision' setting, bathing the whole room in an eerie green glow. As soon as the switch had been flipped, Shinso and Asui had burst through the window and were assailed by Dark Shadow, and the whole class witnessed their dramatic escape from the creature._

_"That's some Quirk…" Midoriya muttered, consistently shocked by the power his classmates displayed._

_All Might couldn't help but agree with his protégé, but there was something else on his mind. He had learned that Shinso was admitted on Eraserhead's recommendation, and he was very curious indeed to see what had earned him praise from someone like Aizawa…_

* * *

_Fumikage Tokoyami was stood perfectly still in the centre of the room that he and Shoji were defending, his eyes shut in an expression of focus. Controlling Dark Shadow was a task that required his full attention, as his Quirk grew wild and unpredictable in darkness, and he knew it would become fully independent if he let his emotions get the better of him. To prevent this eventuality, he emptied his mind of all the emotions he could, focusing purely on controlling Dark Shadow. _

_Dark Shadow itself emanated from Tokoyami's chest, an inky-black tendril snaked its way out of his cloak and across the room, steadily growing in size all the time. The tendril disappeared far out of sight, and it only moved occasionally in response to Dark Shadow's most aggressive and erratic movements._

_Mezo Shoji was beside him, all six arms extended outwards into a wide arc around him. Five of the appendages currently held large, bat-like ears, which twitched and flinched with the input of even the tiniest noise. The final arm held a mouth, which occasionally muttered information to Tokoyami._

_"They may have moved to the Eastern side of the building." Shoji said, his actual eyes clamped shut so he could better focus on his hearing "It's a little difficult to track them right now, Dark Shadow is making a lot of noise."_

_"Dark Shadow, search the eastern side of the building." Tokoyami whispered to his Quirk, confident that it could hear him despite the fact that it's head was so far away "And do it quietly."_

_Tokoyami could feel Dark Shadow writhe in his mental grip at the addition of this last command, the Quirk didn't like to be ordered around too much, and it's rebellious side was far more prominent due to the darkness the pair had cast the top floor in._

_Despite the pushback from Dark Shadow, Tokoyami couldn't help but feel slight satisfaction at the defence him and Shoji had created. He hoped that Dark Shadow could either capture their opponents, or delay them long enough that time would run out._

* * *

The beast had moved away from us, and we took that opportunity to creep away, quietly moving through the back entrance of the room we had entered and emerging back into another hallway. There was still no sign of Tokoyami or Shoji, and I wasn't exactly keen on the idea of going toe-to-toe with whatever the hell that creature was.

My eyes were only just beginning to adjust to the darkness, and I still had to hold a hand out in front of me to avoid any unwanted collisions with my teammate. Tsu didn't seem to be having much trouble, and I was about to speak up when she turned and saw me.

"Can you see anything Shinso?" She whispered, keeping her voice low to avoid drawing the beast towards us.

"I can barely see a thing." I muttered, a small growl of frustration escaping my lips "How are you managing so well?"

"My Frog Quirk gives me better vision in the dark." She said, gesturing to her eyes "I'll guide you around until your eyes adapt."

I murmured my thanks and started to move forwards again, hoping that our conversation hadn't drawn any unwanted attention to us. Despite everything, I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy towards Tsu and her Quirk. It seemed to have so many applications and uses, and I was stuck with a one-use power that everybody seemed to recoil from. I knew the thought was petty and spiteful, so I pushed it to the back of my mind for now, trying my best to focus on the mission.

Aizawa's words echoed through my mind when I was thinking of my Quirk

'Power isn't good or evil, that's decided by the user.'

I mentally thanked my mentor before pushing forwards, now completely focused on the task at hand.

I was thankful for the stealth lessons Aizawa had given me, as the various techniques he had taught me let me move through the building extremely quietly, hopefully avoiding detection from the great shadow-beast. I was also happy to see that my partner shared my affinity for stealthy movement, as she crept across the wall beside me, producing nearly no sound at all.

I had foolishly hoped that we would be able to avoid the shadow-creature, and that we would come across Shoji and Tokoyami in one of the rooms that we passed by. Alas, they were nowhere to be seen, and I couldn't help but envision the seconds of our mission slipping slowly away from us.

Maybe that was their plan? Simply use the shadow-creature to steer us away from wherever they were hiding and wait us out? It seemed to be the most likely outcome at this point, and I was half tempted to start moving through the building as quickly as I could, looking through the rooms to find the pair as quickly as possible.

Common sense prevailed in the end though, as I knew that any attempt at quicker or more aggressive movement would make far too much noise, and it would only serve to bring the shadow-beast to us quicker. No, at the moment the best bet was stealth, and we would simply have to hope that we would come across the pair or the weapon before time ran out.

I was distracted from my thoughts when the gloved hand of Tsu shot out in front of me, bringing me to an abrupt halt. I was about to ask why we had stopped, but a quick assessment of our surroundings explained the situation perfectly. We were at a crossroads, and the wind-like sound that had accompanied the shadow when it first attacked could just about be heard coming from the passage to our left.

I watched in mute horror as the shadow came straight towards us, crashing through everything in its path as soon as it saw us. Something in my head refused to work properly, and I was left frozen on the spot, unable to do anything but watch as the beast sped towards me.

Just before it made impact, I felt something wrap around my waist and pull me into one of the rooms we had passed by. As soon as I got my bearings I realised that Tsu had used her tongue to pull me clear of the beast, and I nodded my thanks to her.

As soon as I had got my bearings I ran down the hallway away from the creature, following behind Tsu as she hopped away about as fast as I could sprint. I heard the creature hot on our heels, and I called out to Tsu as I felt the creature behind me.

"Left!" I called out, gesturing wildly to a doorway just ahead of us.

Tsu was ahead, and she kicked the door open before ducking into the room, I followed behind her, diving through the doorway when I realised I wouldn't make it otherwise. I landed hard, but managed to clamber to my feet and follow Tsu through the room, hearing a crash as the creature shot past me and into the end of the hall.

The room we had entered was large, and even darker than the rest of the building due to the complete lack of windows. It took a few seconds for my vision to adjust to the darkness ahead of me, and when I could finally see semi-clearly I could see that the room resembled some kind of large storage warehouse. The room was heavily cluttered with rows upon rows of tools and debris, and it put me in mind of a construction site. I could tell at a glance that finding a path through the debris would be far too time consuming, and seeing Tsu leaping and hopping over the debris confirmed my next action.

Adrenaline and fear were fuelling me at that point, and I clambered over the obstacles in the room with a speed and grace that would have done me proud during my training with Aizawa. Tsu was still slightly ahead due to her Quirk's durability, but I did see her occasionally throw a glance back at me to check if I was still behind her.

When we reached the other side of the room, I heard a crashing and splintering of wood that told me that the beast had found its way into the room behind us. A quick glance backwards confirmed my fears, and I could tell at a glance that it would catch us before we reached the door.

Thinking quickly, I reached for one of the canisters on my belt, and after realising it was a smoke bomb, pulled the pin and threw it at the creature. Within a few seconds billowing smoke had begun to pour out of the canister, obscuring the centre of the room. I heard the creature growl out loud in frustration, and it began to lash out blindly into the smoke, it's massive talons raking the air and stirring up the smoke.

I marvelled at the sheer amount of smoke that the bomb produced, I had never used one of them before and I hadn't quite been prepared for such a pronounced affect. Aizawa had told me that these things were 'cutting edge, military-grade equipment.' I hadn't really grasped what he meant by that until now. I made a mental note to ask about the rest of my equipment at some point, I wouldn't put it past Aizawa to give me exploding caltrops or something just as ridiculous.

I grabbed Tsu by the wrist and lead her away from the door she was about to go through, knowing that the beast had seen us heading towards it. I moved through the smoke blindly, holding out a hand in front of me to avoid walking face-first into a wall. I had vaguely noticed another door in my peripheral version before I set off the smoke, and I planned to get through the door while the creature is distracted by the smoke.

I sighed in relief when my hand met the wooden door I had noticed earlier, and I moved to open the door when Tsu spoke up.

"Shinso." She whispered, her voice almost drowned out by the beast's roars of frustration "Can you let my wrist go?"

I realised that I was still holding onto Tsu's wrist, even though the smoke was thin enough to see where we were. I muttered an apology and let go of her arm, mentally chalking my actions up to panic and adrenaline.

As I pulled the door open and stepped out of the room I saw Tsu reach for a large iron bar on the ground, picking it up and gazing at the object with a blank expression. Before I could ask what she was doing, she hurled the object back into the smoke, pausing until an audible clatter could be heard from the bar's landing impact. Tsu stepped out of the room before quietly closing the door behind her.

"That should confuse it for a bit longer." She whispered, the barest visible hint of a smile crossing her face "We should get out of here."

I nodded and we made our way away from the room as quickly and quietly as we could manage. The sound from the room gradually faded away until the rushing wind told me that the beast was on the move again, hopefully it was moving away from us this time.

I realised that a crazed smile had made its way across my lips, thankfully it was covered by the Artificial Vocal Chords, as I am sure it would look quite unusual to my teammate. I attributed this to adrenaline as well, and I had heard of people bursting into laughter after escaping dangerous circumstances.

The expression was wiped off of my face as soon as I saw the creature pass through a room nearby, it's features distorted in frustration and anger. Thankfully, it seemed not to notice us, and we moved away from it silently, hoping to avoid another run-in with the creature.

The tension lessened after a while, but the beast was an ever-present threat, and that fact combined with the pressure of expiring time caused a worrying mood to brew in my mind. Although I had been trained in hit-and-run tactics, I was used to ambushing and attacking my target, not running away in a blind panic every time we came into contact. This change of pace was annoying to me, and I couldn't help but feel that Aizawa's training hadn't prepared me for a scenario like this.

Despite the reprieve, the beast was still on the prowl, and we could only watch in silence as it slithered around nearby, scouring every corner of the building to look for us.

* * *

_All Might and the students of 1A continued to watch the game of cat-and-mouse unfold, awed by the awesome strength of Tokoyami's Quirk. All Might was particularly impressed by the beast, and he flicked one of the cameras towards the pair, interested to see how they were conducting such a terrific defence._

_Tokoyami was stood in the centre of the room, eyes closed in focus. The twisting form of Dark Shadow was emerging from his cloak, disappearing out of the room._

_Beside him, Shoji was stood in the darkness, his four extra appendages were outstretched, and each one ended in a bat-like ear. Every so often one of his ears would twitch, and he would quickly communicate something to Tokoyami, who would mutter something to his shadowy familiar._

_"I see what they're doing." Midoriya said, his finger already rubbing his temple "Tokoyami can command his Quirk, and Shoji can detect Asui and Shinso whenever they make any noise. Shoji then just tells Tokoyami where they are, and Dark Shadow gets directed straight there!"_

_"**A formidable defence.**" All Might cut in, catching the attention of the class away from the monitors "**I am interested to see if our attackers are able to breach such a formidable bulwark.**"_

_The Class chattered amongst themselves, seemingly debating the odds of the fight with each other. Though there were some differences of opinion amongst the students, most seemed to agree that Shinso and Asui were unlikely to break through Tokoyami and Shoji's defence before time ran out. Although the pair had avoided Dark Shadow so far, it seemed unlikely that they would find a way to defeat the creature. _

_All Might privately admitted to himself that he wasn't even sure how this fight could end, Shinso still occupied his thoughts; the young man was still an unknown quantity in many ways, and he was interested to see how exactly he would perform against such a powerful defence. All Might was intrigued to see exactly what Shinso was capable of that distinguished him in the eyes of somebody like Aizawa, he was surprised by his colleagues actions in regard to the young student, and he kept his keen eyes on young Shinso, intrigued to see exactly what made him fit for the Hero Course._

_Inwardly, All Might smiled, he couldn't help his enthusiasm. Training the young heroes of tomorrow was truly an experience unlike any other!_

* * *

The beast seemed to have moved on, so the pair of us quietly made our way through the hallways, keeping an eye out for the creature at all times. That was easier said than done though, the darkness had only gotten more intense as we walked away from the open window, and the gloom was making our progress far too slow. If we continued at this rate, we wouldn't get to the objective in time.

"It must be Tokoyami's Quirk." Tsu whispered, obviously trying to strategize "But there doesn't seem to be any kind of weakness to it."

"Everyone has a weakness of some kind." I replied, though I didn't feel as confident as I was trying to sound "Maybe Tokoyami himself is the source of this creature, and we need to find a way to get to him?"

"Maybe, ribbit. But that thing will be guarding him for sure, and there's no way we can fight it head-on." Tsu leapt back onto the ceiling, keeping pace above me "And there's still Shoji, who could be anywhere."

She was right, neither of us possessed a Quirk that allowed for any kind of destructive power, so we didn't have the strength to fight something so power, at least not directly. No, we needed to use our wits to come out on top. Shoji was another unknown factor, for all we knew he could waiting around any of the building's corners, ready to ambush us, an uncertainty that I was far from thrilled about.

With that thought hanging over us, progress was slow, as we spent time looking around every corner of the building before proceeding. I knew in the back of my mind that we couldn't afford to move so slowly, but the threat of Tokoyami's Quirk finding us again was too great, and we didn't want to risk another run-in with the beast.

The winding corridors were proving difficult to navigate, and we found ourselves re-tracing old ground on several different occasions, wasting even more time. I relied on Tsu to guide us through the building, she had said that her Quirk gave her night vision, allowing her to see our surroundings a little better.

The creature came close to us several times, and we were forced to divert ourselves from our path to hide while it searched around for us. We weren't discovered again, but every time we hid, more and more valuable time was ticking away, and the encounters with the creature were getting far too close for comfort.

_Crunch_

I froze as the noise of shattering glass burst out from under my boot. Only now could I see the various light bulbs that we left on the ground, apparently the pair dismantled the lights and used some of the bulbs as traps.

There was a tense second where I thought the beast hadn't heard us, but the tell-tale sound of rushing air heralded its arrival, and it soon turned a corner to appear behind us. This time, the beast was faster, and it charged forwards, it crashed into Tsu, sending her flying over me and landing somewhere behind me. Although I attempt to dodge it still collided into me, the impact sending me spiralling to the ground, the force of the creature had knocked the wind of out of me, and I struggled to get back up. As I pulled myself to my feet, I saw that the creature was hovering above me, it's serpentine body holding it aloft like a creature from ancient myths.

As soon as it saw that I had got back up, it reared back for another charge, presumably trying to knock us both out so we could be captured. I reached for one of the cylinders on my belt, and my fingers closed around a flashbang. Without hesitating, I pulled the pin from the device and flicked it at the creature, running in the other direction to try and find Tsu and get us away from the creature.

I saw the hallway briefly light up behind me with a flash of blinding light, and my eardrums briefly rang with the impact of the blast. I heard a terrible screech behind me, and out of curiosity I turned around to see what had happened to the creature. The beast was thrashing around in anger, as if it had been struck by a massive and powerful attack, it also seemed to be blinded, as it lashed out wildly, cracking the concrete walls of the building with each wild swing. It may have just been my eyes, but it seemed that it had _shrunk _slightly, as it didn't seem to take up as much of the hallway as it had before. After a few more strikes the creature slithered away backwards, returning to wherever the source of its body was.

"Did you see that?" A croaky voice appeared behind me, and I leapt away in surprise, only to realise it was Tsu.

"Asui!" I hissed, surprised by her sudden reappearance given the strength of the attack she had taken "Are you injured?"

"It's Tsu." She corrected "And I'm fine, though I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of that creature again, ribbit."

Though I could barely see due to the after-effects of the flashbang, a glance confirmed Tsu's statement. Though she was a little scuffed up, she seemed to be free of any serious injuries, she must have only been struck by a glancing hit from the creature.

I realised what she had asked me initially, and my mind replayed everything that had just happened, giving me a clearer picture. All of the facts linked together in my mind, leading to a realisation that gave us a chance at victory.

"I saw it as well." I confirmed, a grin spread across my face, though it was still hidden by the Artificial Vocal Chords "I think it's vulnerable to light."

* * *

_"What just happened?" Asked Denki Kaminari, the entire class had been momentarily shocked by the sudden explosion of light from the monitors, and when it had cleared, Shinso and Asui had already moved on._

_"**I'm not sure.**" All Might said, sounding a little perplexed "**It seems that young Shinso was able to stun the creature and create an opportunity to escape.**"_

_"Is that his Quirk?" Ejiro Kirishima asked, sounding confused "He didn't use his power at all yesterday, and we still have no idea what he can really do."_

_Shinso's Quirk had become something of a mystery amongst Class 1A, and even though the class hardly knew each other, a few had begun to speculate about their classmate. Shinso hadn't used his Quirk at all during the Quirk Apprehension Test, at least not visibly, and despite this apparent impairment, he had managed to come in 14th overall on the test. Some students guessed that he had some kind of low-level strength-enhancement Quirk, but he had exhibited no signs of superhuman strength so far, so that theory was tenuous at best._

_"Come to think of it." Mashirao Ojiro spoke up, attracting the attention of his class "Does anybody even remember seeing Shinso at the entrance exam?"_

_There was a chorus of 'no' from several students, and the two recommendation students shook their heads as well, only further adding to the classes confusion._

_"I think I saw him at the written exam and at the entrance hall." Ashido said, recalling his distinctive purple hair "But I never saw him at the practical exam."_

_This only made the scattered students of 1A even more confused, they all seemed to be wondering what exactly was going on with their classmate, and how exactly he had gotten into UA with no obvious Quirk and apparently without taking the entrance exam. It was a mystery to be sure, one only made more interesting by Shinso's quiet and reclusive demeanour. Indeed, although 1A didn't know each other too well, Shinso's silence during the Quirk Apprehension test was notable, and it was comparable to the brooding Shoto Todoroki._

_"It's highly unusual for a UA Student to be so difficult to read, and their success so far makes his apparent lack of Quirk usage even more confusing." Momo Yaoyorozu said, thinking aloud more than talking to anybody "They're keeping themselves away from Dark Shadow, but they still haven't gotten to the objective."_

_"I still don't know if they can win…" Muttered Midoriya to nobody but himself "Dark Shadow is amazing, and they still have Shoji to worry about."_

_"**Indeed.**" The symbol of peace stared at the monitors, noticing that Asui and Shinso were getting close to their objective "**It will be a close match, but I'm interested to see how this goes.**"_

_Indeed, the time Shinso and Asui had spent avoiding Dark Shadow was taking its toll, and there were less than 5 minutes left on the trial. The pair didn't know it yet, but their time had almost run out._

_All Might narrowed his eyes as he watched Shinso and Asui sprint through the hallways, making their way inexorably towards their objective,_

_"**You have done well so far, Young heroes.**" He muttered, his voice going unheard amongst the discussion of Class 1A "**But your trials aren't over yet**."_

_The symbol of peace watched silently as the pair finally arrived at Shoji and Tokoyami's final defence, the room that contained the bomb._

_"**Let's see what Eraserhead sees in you, Young Shinso.**"_

* * *

_Author's Note_

_This Chapter has been re-written, extended and spilt into two, the next chapter contains the conclusion of Shinso's battle trial._


	9. Chapter 9- Battle Trials: Part 3

Chapter 9: Battle Trials- Part 3

* * *

_Author's Note: If you read the last Chapter, you're probably wondering why this one starts midway through the Battle Trial. To summarise, I felt that the Battle Trial wound up being far too brief, and I wanted to add more to it. So I ended up cutting Chapter 8 in half and expanding them both into Chapters 8 and 9. I'm much happier with this version, as it lets me explore the chase around the building a bit more in Chapter 8, and I can also show Tsuyu vs Tokoyami in Chapter 9, which I had cut originally due to word count._

_I hope you enjoy the expanded Battle Trial, I personally think it turned out much better this time around._

* * *

We spent the next minute or so making our way through the traps Shoji and Tokoyami had set, deftly weaving our way through the light bulbs that would alert the shadow to our presence. It likely wouldn't have mattered anyway, it seemed that the creature had returned to Tokoyami, as we hadn't seen or heard it since our last encounter.

We stopped at a large metal door, and the gentle sound of wind from within told me that the shadow was waiting within, presumably with his owner and his partner. My eyes had adapted to the darkness decently well by now, but it was still difficult to see much further than a few metres in any given direction. Tsu and I crouched besides the door, acutely aware that all hell would break loose as soon as we entered the room.

I quickly flicked my eyes around our surroundings, making sure that there weren't any unwanted surprises lurking in the darkness around us. I was half expecting to see the masked face of Shoji staring at me from the gloom, ready to spring an ambush on the pair of us at the first opportunity. After a few seconds of scanning, I was fairly confident that no surprises were lying in wait, though I still felt tense as I looked back towards Tsu.

"So, what's the plan?" Tsu whispered, keeping her voice as low as possible to ensure that Shoji didn't hear whatever we came up with.

"Priority is getting our hands on the objective, but they won't make it easy for us to do so." I was running through every possibility I could think of in my head "We know that Tokoyami's Quirk is strong, but it might not attack as aggressively if it's too near Tokoyami."

"So we go in close to fight Tokoyami." Tsu nodded in agreement "What about Shoji?"

"The opposite." I confirmed, remembering how Shoji had performed during the Quirk Apprehension Test "He's strong and can fight with six limbs, so we need to keep our distance from him."

"We might be able to use Shoji's size against him though." Tsu noted, a point I hadn't considered "It could be easier to dodge him too."

We both contemplated this for several seconds, and I couldn't help but feel that we didn't have much of a chance against our classmates.

"We pair off." Tsu said, a look of determination on her usually blank face "I'll fight Tokoyami and you can fight Shoji."

"Will you be alright fighting Tokoyami?" I whispered, fearing that my teammate was putting herself in danger more than me.

"It makes the most sense. I'm better at dodging, so I should fight whoever has the strongest attacks." Tsu answered, throwing a glance to the metal door "You're probably a better close-up fighter, so you would have a better chance against Shoji."

Her logic was sound, and I nodded my agreement, readying myself to execute the plan that I hoped would bring us victory. Shoji and Tokoyami were formidable foes for sure, but I knew we had a chance of coming out on top if we executed our plan properly.

"I'll cover our entrance with smoke." I paused before handing one of the flashbangs to Tsu, which she took with a confused expression on her face "If Tokoyami's Quirk starts to overwhelm you, this might slow him down for a bit."

"Let's just hope our theory about his Quirk is correct." Tsu nodded, and clipped the cylinder to her belt.

As soon as I was sure we were ready, I gently opened the steel doors as slowly as I could. And as soon as the gap in the middle was wide enough, I pushed two smoke grenades through the opening, and pulled the door shut again.

Once I had counted out 20 seconds, I gestured my readiness to Tsu, and the pair of us pushed through the door, as ready as we would ever be for what awaited us on the other side.

The smoke had spread throughout the room, but we were still able to pick out our intended targets from across the room, and we sprinted at them as quickly as we could, aware that every second counted.

Shoji had taken up a defensive position, and his 6 limbs all morphed into fists as soon as he realised I was targeting him. Shoji's true size only really became apparent when I got close, and I realised that I didn't have much hope of fighting him head-on.

Then again, that wasn't really my style.

I broke into a sprint towards Shoji straight away, aiming to catch him off guard with a sudden burst of aggression. As I made my way towards my opponent, I employed the lessons Aizawa had taught me and tried to analyse any holes in Shoji's defence, looking for weaknesses to exploit. Shoji's stance was impressively solid, and he stood with the solid confidence of a trained fighter. That said, his large size meant that the gaps in his defence were larger and more prominent, and even with his extra arms there were openings that I was already planning to strike.

Shoji saw me running towards him, and he pulled the three fists on his left side back, attempting to take me out in one crushing blow. As soon as I saw his three arms were grouped together, I launched the capture weapon from my right arm at his, skilfully manipulating the fabric so that it tightly bound the three limbs together.

I pulled on the end of the tool, hoping to take advantage of Shoji's shock and pull him to the ground. I had underestimated his strength though, and he instead pulled me towards him, sliding the cloth off of his arms in the process. Shoji was ready with his other set of arms, and I felt the wind get knocked out of me as his three fists made contact, sending me to the ground. My snare on Shoji must have been sloppy, as the capturing tool shouldn't have been that easy to remove.

I managed to recover quickly, and launched a low kick at Shoji's stomach, eliciting a grunt of pain. It sent him stumbling back a few feet, and I used what little time I had brought for myself to recover the lost capture weapon. I spun the tool back around my arm, ready to use it again.

Shoji was already back, and I had to leap away to avoid another crushing blow from the massive student. I wasn't suited to being on the defensive, but all I could do was dodge the repeated blows from Shoji.

Shoji seemed to have nearly endless stamina, and I found myself suffering several near-misses from his massive punches. I had thought that Shoji's size would make him somewhat slow and cumbersome, but he moved with a speed and relentlessness that belied his size. I was also still struggling to see in the dark, which made it difficult to predict Shoji's movements and form counters to his actions.

Before I had a chance to come up with a plan, I realised that I had been backed into a corner. Shoji realised that I was trapped, and he pulled back with 3 of his arms, ready to deal a crushing blow to me.

Instinct took over, and I turned towards the wall in an attempt to execute a manoeuvre that Aizawa had taught me. I leapt into the air, and kicked against the corner wall as hard as I could, as soon as I was airborne I twisted my body to use my momentum and flip over Shoji. I took the few seconds that the move had brought be, and mustered the strongest kick I could, striking out hard against Shoji's back.

Too slow.

Shoji had apparently seen this coming, and one of his limbs had twisted around to grab my outstretched ankle. Shoji turned to face me, before using his hold to throw me across the room, far away from the objective. I landed hard, another painful reminder of Shoji's amazing strength. As I recovered, I wondered how my teammate was faring in her own battle, I hoped that she was having better luck than me.

* * *

_Tsuyu Asui had never fought so hard in her life._

_She had been in some spars before, and she had fought off a few school bullies on behalf of other students before, but she had never been in a real fight before._

_It was a massive change of pace, and she was finding it extremely difficult to keep up._

_Tokoyami and Dark Shadow were utterly relentless, and she was left with little recourse but to dodge and hope for an opening. At least she was able to dodge Dark Shadow very effectively, her Frog Quirk came with many different features, but her enhanced agility was something that she frequently found herself using._

_Her Quirk also gave her impressive Night Vision, a feature that she assumed Tokoyami lacked, due to the fact that his Quirk seemed to just be Dark Shadow. Asui was trying desperately to come up with some kind of plan to beat Tokoyami, and she was running through dozens of different scenarios in her head in the search for a way to beat her opponent._

_Though she didn't like to boast, Asui had been told from a young age that she had a remarkable ability to remain calm and level-headed under pressure, and she hoped that she would be able to utilise this trait of hers in her current situation._

_Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to concentrate when you are being chased by a large shadow-creature, and even somebody as level-headed as Asui would struggle to form a good plan in these circumstances. Any time she tried to come up with an idea to counter Tokoyami's power, a strike from the creature would force her to dodge, cutting off her train of thought and leaving her on the back foot all over again._

_Asui was forced to simply keep dodging, as any other action would likely result in her being struck by Dark Shadow, an experience she had no interest in repeating._

_She dodged another charge by the creature, watching as it shot past her and struck the wall behind her. Dark Shadow seemed almost impervious to pain from its repeated charges and impacts, and Asui realised that attacking it would likely be a wasted effort. Tokoyami himself was largely stationary, holding back to allow his Quirk to attack for him, Asui knew that attacking Tokoyami would likely be her only chance of securing victory for her and Shinso._

_Speaking of which, she turned her head to see how Shinso was faring against Shoji, hoping that her teammate was faring better than she was. She saw Shinso and Shoji locked in a dizzy melee fight, and neither of them seemed to be able to gain the upper hand against the other. Asui was nonetheless surprised to see how well Shinso was faring against someone as physically strong as Shoji. Shinso's combat technique was impressive to her, and she was surprised to see how well he utilised the wraps around his arms to fight Shoji. _

_Come to think of it, Shinso's tools seemed awfully familiar to Aizawa's scarf, and they had both utilised them in a similar way, using the tool to ensnare and slow down their targets. She found it odd to see one of her classmates bearing such a resemblance to their grouchy homeroom teacher, especially somebody as quiet and reserved as Shinso. She would have to ask him about it later, for now she needed to focus on her fight._

_Asui realised that she was being slowly backed into a corner by Tokoyami's Quirk, the seemingly random attacks were actually carefully directed to herd her away from the objective. She grimaced at this revelation, but tried to remain calm, her eyes flicking around the room to look for an opening to escape the slowly-closing trap._

_She spent a few moments probing for weaknesses or gaps in the being's defence, lashing out with careful kicks that were placed carefully to test the shadow's coverage of the area. To her disappointment, she found that the being had even greater reach that she had initially realised, and it effortlessly blocked any attempts at escape on her parts, and all the while it kept pushing her towards the corner of the building._

_After a few seconds, she knew that no opening was going to present itself, and that she had only one option left to her. She reached for the flashbang that Shinso had given her, hoping against hope that their theory about the creature's weakness to light was correct…_

* * *

Shoji was utterly relentless, and I could do little more than dodge and evade his attacks until an opening presented itself. I had seen that Tsu was holding out against Tokoyami, and she was doing far better than I was hoping, given the impressive strength of her opponent. That said, it was clear that she would be unable to pull out a victory against her opponent, and she was left on the back foot constantly.

Another series of blows came from Shoji, and I weaved between the rapid set of punches that came from my opponent. Fighting an opponent with six arms was an adjustment that I was still struggling to make, and Aizawa hadn't covered such a situation in my extensive combat training. After one of Shoji's punches went a bit wider that the rest, I batted the arm aside and struck back, levelling a kick at Shoji's exposed chest. Shoji was too slow to react to the strike, and my boot connected solidly with my opponent, eliciting a grunt of pain from Shoji. Shoji was pushed back slightly by the attack, but his solid build and strength meant that he wasn't pushed back as far as I would have liked. That said, the sudden reversal of the combat left me with a few metres of breathing room, and I did my best to capitalise on the advantage I had created.

Drawing on all the knowledge that Aizawa had imparted to me, I readied by capturing tool, knowing it was my best option to use against Shoji. When Shoji pulled back his 3 left fists, I launched the tool at them, manipulating the tool as best I could in such darkness. This time, the tool snared well, and I heard Shoji grunt in surprise as his 3 limbs were bound tightly together. I knew that he would just pull me towards him again, so I threw the remainder of the tool towards Shoji, further entangling him.

I knew that Shoji would still be able to attack me with his ensnared arms, but the tool would likely restrict his range of movement in those limbs, making his attacks from that side far more manageable. I moved parallel to Shoji, intent on staying on his left side to exploit my advantage in that area. Shoji must have known that the tool was too tightly ensnared for him to easily remove, and doing so would take so long that it would give me enough of an opening to attack.

We traded blows and dodges for a while, though I could tell that Shoji was relying on his right side more often, a pattern of behaviour that I used to my advantage. Shoji was showing little sign of fatigue, but I had no doubt that he was feeling the strain of such a protracted battle, I knew that I couldn't keep fighting for much longer, I needed a way to end this fight quickly.

Before I could find an opportunity, Shoji acted against me. My last dodge had been a little too slow, and I was grabbed by one of his many arms. I was unable to break myself out of his iron grip, and he threw me to the ground a few feet away from him

When I realised my position, I knew I had a chance to execute another plan, and I rolled out of the way of Shoji's next attack. I pulled myself off the ground but stayed low, subtly tossing my other capturing weapon at Shoji's ankle.

I spent the next few minutes dodging around Shoji, taking every opportunity I could get to move around him and deliver some distracting blows to his back, all in the purpose of distracting him from the capturing tool that was gathering around his feet.

Despite my plan, I knew I was on the ropes, Shoji's strength was formidable, and I doubted I would be able to recover if I took another hit from him. The sounds of fighting behind me told me that Tsu was at least still in the fight, but I had no way of telling how well she was doing.

Another roll under Shoji's punch left me with barely any capturing tool left, just as well, as he was quickly adapting to my dodges, and I doubted that I would be able to last much longer. I pulled on the capturing tool with all my strength, and the loose pile of cloth quickly tightened around Shoji's ankles, binding them tightly together. Shoji grunted in surprised, but I executed my plan before he had a chance to respond to his entrapment.

With Shoji's legs ensnared, I took the only opportunity I had, throwing a two-footed kick at his chest to bring him to the ground. I knew he would recover too quickly to let me go for the objective, so I pondered my next move for a moment, throwing a glance over to Tsu to see how she was faring.

Her agility was serving her well, and it was clear that Tokoyami wasn't as proficient as her in close combat. The shadow was keeping her at a distance though, and it was clear that she hadn't had many chances to attack. I realised that she had just reached for the flashbang on her belt, and I quickly turned away, hoping that the tool might give me the opening I needed…

* * *

_Mezo Shoji was thrown to the ground, his legs were ensnared by Shinso's capture tool, and the sudden kick from his opponent had sent him to the ground. With one tool around his left arms, and the other around his legs, he found himself largely immobilised, though he was confident that he would be able to release himself before Shinso could get to the objective._

_With a groan, he turned to look for Tokoyami, creating extra eyes and ears to see his teammate better._

_It was at that moment that Tsu had thrown the flashbang Shinso had given to her at Tokoyami, and the blinding flash of light struck Shoji's eyes dead on, filling his vision with blinding light. The effect was amplified by the enhanced organs at the end of his arms, causing spasms of pain to shoot through his limbs. He covered his eyes and groaned in discomfort. His ears were ringing from the after-effects of the explosion, and everything was dull and muted for a few seconds._

_As Shoji began to recover, he saw a dark, blurry shape standing over him, seemingly checking up on him. His vision was still shaky, and he was left feeling severely disoriented._

_"Are you injured Shoji?" Tokoyami asked, his voice distorted by the ringing caused by the flashbang._

_Shoji groaned and pulled himself partially off the ground, looking towards his still blurry teammate._

_"No, I'm-"_

_Shoji's words were cut short as his body froze up, his blood ran cold, and his head suddenly felt light and dizzy. The edges of his vision faded to black, only letting him look directly forwards, and he was left unable to even move his eyes around. Cold shivers made their way down Shoji's spine, and his limbs suddenly felt numb and distant from the rest of his body._

_It was as if control of his own body had suddenly been taken from him. As if…_

_His fears were confirmed as his vision finally corrected itself, and the blurry shape in front of him coalesced into the form of his opponent, Hitoshi Shinso_

_"Stay right there Shoji." Shinso whispered, still speaking in Tokoyami's voice "I'll be back in just a moment."_

_Shoji could only watch as Shinso ran over to the objective, intent on claiming it before time could expire. Tokoyami was in no state to help either, the flashbang had nearly reduced Dark Shadow to nothing, and Asui was finally gaining the upper hand on her opponent now that his Quirk had been weakened. Shinso must have seen this as well, as he knew that Asui's renewed offensive gave him the opportunity he was waiting for._

_Shoji did everything he could to try and get his muscles to move, but it was as if someone else had taken complete control of his body, and he could do nothing but observe. Shinso laid a hand on the bomb, and as soon as he did so, the booming voice of All Might came over the communication pieces they all had in their ears._

_"**Trial Over! Victory goes to the Hero Team!**"_

* * *

The four of us walked down the road of the faux city towards the observation centre, talking avidly about the battle that had just taken place. The light stung my eyes a little after spending so long in the darkness, but I was just grateful that I could see clearly again. It was strange to see how little impact our battle had had from outside, and it made me pause and think about how many villains could be lurking in cities out of sight, it was a sobering thought to say the least, to know that villains were still so common in a society of superheroes.

Still, today was only an imaginary fight, and one that had taught me a great deal at that.

"Dark Shadow is really powerful Tokoyami." I said, glancing towards the raven-headed student, who had informed us of his Quirk's name on the walk out of the building "I wasn't expecting to fight some kind of Shadow-Beast, it really took me off guard."

"He's right, ribbit." Tsu muttered, placing a finger on her chin "You might be one of the best in the class for pure power."

"You honour me with your praise." Tokoyami glanced at the pair of us, his stern expression making him difficult to read "But you still managed to overwhelm me, I have much to think on after this battle."

"We're all here to improve." I shrugged, trying to shake some off the stiffness on my shoulders "It's only our second day, and we haven't even gotten to see what the rest of the class can do."

I found myself surprised by how open and talkative I was being to these relative strangers, a personality shift that I attributed to the adrenaline high that I was still experiencing.

"You fought well against my Dark Shadow, Asui." Tokoyami said, looking towards my teammate "I've never encountered somebody so agile before."

"Thanks, but call me Tsu." She croaked, her expression remaining unreadable. "I've never had to fight against such a powerful Quirk before."

"Speaking of powerful Quirks." Shoji cut in, his tentacle-arm forming a mouth "That Brainwashing Quirk is something else Shinso, how did you manage to sound so much like Tokoyami?"

"It's this support item." I replied in Tokoyami's voice while tapping the mask, eliciting a chuckle from the group "I have to know the voice beforehand though, and even then I can't be sure it will work."

Only then did I realise that I had left the Artificial Vocal Chords strapped to my face, and I moved the straps to loosen them, leaving the mask hanging loosely around my neck.

"It's still impressive, ribbit." Tsu said, gazing over to me "Though it isn't too helpful in combat, I'm guessing that's why you carry that gear with you?"

"Yeah." I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck "I'll never be as fast or strong as the rest of the students here, including you three. These are meant to even the odds a little."

There was a general murmur of understanding amongst the group, but the rest of our conversation was cut short when we arrived at the observation room. I led the way and opened the door, a decision that I would swiftly come to regret.

"That was totally awesome!"

"It was like something out of a movie!"

The pair that stood before me, the pink-skinned girl and the boy with electric-yellow hair both looked totally awed, as if they had just seen the world's greatest hero in action.

Then again, that might have been a poor analogy, given who was teaching today's class.

"**Indeed!**" All Might beckoned the four of us towards him, and as we lined up in front of him, he gestured widely towards us. "**It was a most terrific bout, and I must admit that I was left on the edge of my seat!**"

It was shocking to receive such high praise from the world's greatest hero, and a quick glance towards the other three confirmed that they were feeling something similar.

"**Shinso and Asui.**" All Might pointed to us two first "**Your offensive skills were shown well today, and even though you faced a seemingly unbeatable foe, you used your wits and technique to come out on top. For that you must be commended!**"

"**Shoji and Tokoyami.**" All Might then turned his attention towards the other pair "**Though you were defeated, your defensive strategy was ingenious, I can think of pros that would have struggled against such a pairing!**"

"**Don't be disheartened by your loss, it was closer than you might have though.**" All Might gestured towards the array of screens, showing various snapshots of our fight "**Indeed, less than 20 seconds remained before time ran out.**"

"Oh"

"Ribbit"

That was close, way too close for comfort. Though I was elated by claiming a victory, a lot of it was pure luck, and knowing that we had come so close to failure only made that fact more apparent.

"**Nevertheless, you should all be proud of your performance today, I suppose it would be best to go over individual evaluations.**"

All Might turned to Tokoyami first, then spoke to each of us in turn.

"**Young Tokoyami, you showed the strength and potential of your Quirk today, and you should be proud of having such control. Your Quirk is unique, and I can see how comfortable you are using it, which speaks to your experience. However, it is important to be aware of your weaknesses as well, and learn how to cover for them.**"

Tokoyami accepted the advice with a silent nod, muttering words of understanding.

"**Young Shoji, you demonstrated your Quirk's versatility by acting in both a supportive and offensive role! You have also shown your own strength and discipline, and I'm sure your skills will improve over time. Be sure to keep practising, I'm sure you'll do better after more training."**

Shoji nodded as well, his appearance making it difficult to gauge his expression.

"**Young Asui, you have shown yourself to be calm and level-headed, an important trait for any hero! As well as that, you showed an impressive grounding in combat skills, the kind that will surely improve with more time at UA. You show good promise, and you will certainly go far in this profession!**"

"Ribbit."

"**Young Shinso, I am impressed by your combat skill, as well as clever use of your own Quirk. I can also tell you have received professional training in close combat, and it certainly shows in your performance today. You seem to be aware of your weaknesses, but it is up to you to improve yourself further.**"

I accepted the advice with a nod, already wondering what else I could do to train myself further. All Might had already moved on to organising the next match, and the rest of the students were already focused on the monitors, watching the highlights from my match.

I was a little strange to see our fight captured in such detail, and the night-vision cameras showed up details that I hadn't noticed during the match. Several of our encounters with Dark Shadow had been far closer than I had realised, and I winced several times when I realised how close I had come to being taken down on several occasions.

I could at least enjoy the images of my fight with Shoji, as it was interesting to observe our battle from afar. I winced again when I saw the image of Shoji striking me with all of his arms, but I knew that the picture didn't come close to showing exactly how painful that really was.

I couldn't help but feel somewhat proud of my actions during the fight, several of the screenshots caught me during dramatic moments of action. I looked far more confident and calm than I had felt in the moment, but I certainly enjoyed the images of my fights through the building.

Somewhat embarrassingly, the cameras had also captured the moment I had wrapped my arm around Tsu's waist to avoid Dark Shadow, and a 'ribbit' from behind me indicated that Tsu had seen the picture as well. I tried to rationalise my embarrassment by telling myself I had acted in the fastest and most efficient way possible, but a juvenile sense of embarrassment still made its way into my mind.

Despite myself, I couldn't help but smile. It might have been the adrenaline still coursing through my system, but I felt a high unlike any other when thinking about today's events. Today had been my first experience of what hero work was actually like, and I couldn't help but be excited to see what the rest of the class was capable of.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_And it's done, the first three-parter of Mind Over Matter!_

_First off, apologies for another delay, I had a family crisis I had to deal with, and time really wasn't on my side._

_I hope you enjoyed the battle trial, these were probably my three favourite chapters to write so far, and I hope I did the characters justice in my portrayals of them. Also, I think I'm going to have Shinso, Asui, Tokoyami and Shoji be somewhat of a core group for this story, something about this group's chemistry really works for me, and I could see the four of them getting along as they are all quite straightforward and honest. Think of them as the equivalent of Midoriya, Uraraka and Iida; though as we all know Class 1A will gradually become one large group of friends, but that won't happen until they get to know each other a bit better._

_Rewrite: This is the first time I have properly felt the compulsion to re-write a chapter, as while I felt that the material in the original Chapter 8 was fine, I felt like it glossed over things far too much, especially near the end which I felt was far too rushed. I hope you found this revised version a lot more engaging. I thought that Asui guessing about Shinso and Aizawa's relationship made sense, she guessed that Midoriya had some kind of connection to All Might, so it made sense to me. (Also Frogs apparently have amazing Night Vision, so I had to change some things around to accommodate that new power for Asui)._

_To make up for the delay, I'll release the 13 chapters I over the next 2 weeks, bringing us up to Chapter 21by the end of next week. This will probably cover the USJ incident, though I can't be sure exactly how long that will really go on for._

_Time to answer some reviews:_

_Pre-Chapter 8 release:_

_Nahim03: Thanks for your support! I'm happy (and a little surprised) to see how many countries this fic has reached, so I'm glad you enjoy it!_

_OnlineOverlord15: Thanks a lot, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed these Chapters. Hopefully this will be a nice conclusion for you, at least until the next cliff-hanger :)_

_Post-Chapter 8 release:_

_OnlineOverlord15: Thanks for the kind words, as you can probably see I wasn't too happy with Chapter 8, and I hope that this expanded version is a lot more engaging. You're probably right about Bakugo, but he doesn't really respect anybody initially, but Shinso might wind up proving himself to him, we'll see. I like the parallel between the two types of heroes you mentioned, and you're right that it will be interesting to see how Shinso reacts to them._

_Cosqueen: Thanks for the support! If you enjoy the other character's perspectives, I hope you'll be happy to see the Tsuyu-perspective scene in this revised version. I like to show other character's perspectives in this, I think it widens the story a bit._

_Evergone the Great: I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story so far. I like the design you proposed for the costume, I mainly went for the one I use because it draws a lot of parallels to Aizawa._

_Fredaguis: Thanks for taking the time to review the story, it really means a lot to me._

_That's all for now folks, see you tomorrow!_


	10. Chapter 10- Battle Trials: Part 4

Chapter 10: Battle Trials- Part 4

* * *

The excitement from my battle had finally died down, and All Might was busy briefing the next four students on the upcoming battle. From what I could hear, each battle would use a different building in order to retain the element of surprise for each team of students. While All Might was doing the briefings, the rest of the class were either discussing strategy with their teammates or simply engaging in chatter with each other.

Personally, I was still watching the monitors, gazing with interest at the battle I had just gone through. It was helpful to be able to assess my own actions from a more detached perspective, and I resolved to use the experience to better my own technique. I was so engrossed in the images, that I didn't notice when a fellow student walked up beside me.

"You did good out there, it was really impressive."

I identified the voice as belonging to Midoriya, though it lacked a lot of the enthusiasm I had heard from him before. I turned to look at him, noticing that he had pulled off the mask that had covered his face earlier. He seemed to be worrying about something, as his expression was far more muted and darkened than I had seen before.

"Nervous?" I asked, not really sure how to deal with this conversation.

"Y-Yeah." He stammered, looking towards the floor "I thought today would be fun, but when I saw I was up against Kacchan I-"

"Kacchan?" I cut in, idly wondering if I had already forgotten one of my classmate's names.

"Bakugo." Midoriya muttered, making me wonder what kind of nickname 'Kacchan' was, especially for someone like Bakugo "He's really strong, and I don't know if I stand a chance."

I wasn't sure how to reply at first, giving generic 'you can do it' advice seemed like it would be unhelpful, so instead I asked something that was playing on my mind.

"There's a history between the two of you, isn't there?" I asked, trying not to sound like I was prying "Are you friends or something?"

"No."

That one word spoke volumes about Midoriya, and everything seemed to click into place. The expression he wore in that moment was a familiar one, it was a face I had seen in the mirror on some of my worst days. I wasn't sure exactly how Midoriya had gotten into this position, it seemed strange that somebody so powerful could be pushed around to the point he seemed to be afraid to even speak.

I realised that Bakugo must have treated Midoriya poorly in the past, and a glance over to Bakugo, who was on the other side of the room, confirmed my suspicions. The glare he was shooting towards Midoriya was nothing short of pure hatred, and I wondered what Midoriya had done to earn such ire, he didn't seem to be the type to make enemies.

"He always pushed me around because I was Qu-" There was a pause for a second "Because I was weak, he always called me 'useless'."

"Then prove him wrong." I said, trying to inject as much gravitas into my voice as possible "I've seen your power, all of us have. Use. It."

It might have been poor advice, but it was what I had always told myself after my darkest moments. Whenever life was becoming too much for me, I knew that I just had to prove people wrong, no matter what. I wasn't going to tell Midoriya what my own experiences were like, but I could at least impart the best advice I had to him, in the hope it would help.

There was an expression of realisation on Midoriya's face, as if he hadn't considered exactly how strong he really was. I still didn't know how somebody so strong had ended up so shy and reserved, and it seemed that Midoriya was aware of this contradiction as well. Realisation morphed into determination, and Midoriya seemed to have gained a new focus in his eyes.

"Deku!" I heard a female voice call out, and I turned to see a girl in a pink and black suit with brown hair calling for Midoriya's attention "We should go and strategize!"

"Y-Yeah, let's go." Midoriya replied, sounding more confident than before. He went to walk away with the girl, though not before turning back to face me "Thanks Shinso."

I just shrugged, dubious of how much help I had really provided. Still, Midoriya looked better, so I guess that was a good sign.

Regardless, the next battle was about to begin, and I wished to see exactly what the rest of the class was capable of.

* * *

**Battle 2: Ejiro Kirishima and Shoto Todoroki vs Kyoka Jiro and Hanta Sero**

The main focus for many in this battle was Shoto Todoroki, the recommendation students that was apparently the son of Endeavour, the number 2 hero. If his father was anything to go by, Todoroki was likely a complete pain in the neck, and his cold and uncaring demeanour so far seemed to confirm that assumption.

His partner, Ejiro Kirishima, possessed a rare Transformation-type Quirk that allowed his entire body to take on a hardened-rock like exterior, rendering him almost immune to physical attacks, while also strengthening his own attacks to an impressive degree. All of this was explained to us by a breathless Mina Ashido, who seemed to know Kirishima from before they came to UA, which explained how she knew so much about our classmate. It was difficult to tell exactly how strong Kirishima's Quirk was due to Ashido's constant enthusiasm, but it was clear that the ability was highly potent nonetheless.

Hanta Sero had a Quirk that seemed to involve creating some kind of sticky tape from his elbows, a strange Quirk to be sure, but one that he seemed capable of using decently well. He had placed the objective between several concrete pillars, and had weaved a web of tape between them, making the bomb almost impossible to reach. It was a decent strategy to be sure, as anybody wanting to reach the objective would either get entangled or have to clear the tape out manually, either option would leave them open to attack.

His teammate, Kyoka Jiro, had some kind of Mutant-Type Quirk that gave her Headphone Jacks on her earlobes. I wasn't able to discern any kind of function from them. But Midoriya's incessant muttering nearby told me that her abilities likely related to sound and reconnaissance to some degree, and I was inclined to agree. They would likely allow her to act in a role similar to Shoji in my own battle, which could give her and Sero the advantage they needed to pull out a win against their more outwardly powerful opponents.

When the match began, Ejiro Kirishima entered the building first, his expression and movements indicating that he was pumped up for the match that took place. He had some kind of transformation Quirk, as his skin had become rocky and jagged, giving him a rather fearsome appearance. Before he could walk any further into the building, some kind of exchange took place between him and Todoroki. After a few seconds of visibly heated discussion, Kirishima threw up his arms in frustration and walked outside, leaving his teammate alone in the building.

After a few seconds of silence, Todoroki placed his hand on the wall and exhaled, dipping his head in calm. Within an instant, massive sheets of ice expanded from his hand, freezing the entire building solid within a few seconds. I winced in sympathy when I saw that Jiro had had one of her headphone jacks stuck into a wall, apparently listening for any movement in a similar matter to Shoji. She had been frozen to the wall by her ear, and Sero had suffered a similar fate, with his lower legs completely enveloped in Ice.

We all watched in pure shock as Todoroki calmly walked up through the building, apparently unphased by the sheer amount of ice he had produced just moments ago. When Todoroki entered the room that contained the objective, he briefly gazed at his two opponents before continuing forwards, apparently not expecting either of them to fight back. Sero didn't let him get away so easily, launching a strip of tape towards Todoroki in what seemed to be an attempt to ensnare him.

Todoroki had apparently anticipated this move, as he simply held his hand up to stop the tape. As soon as it made contact with his hand, the tape froze solid, the ice travelling towards Sero and freezing his elbow shut. After another second, Todoroki continued forwards, freezing and shattering the tape that protected the bomb and claiming the objective. The icy teen seemed to say something to his two opponents before holding out his left hand and placing it on the frozen objective. After a moment, steam began to arise from the building, rapidly melting the ice and freeing Sero and Jiro. Did this mean that Todoroki had some kind of heat manipulation factor to his Quirk as well? Just how many powers did this guy have?

"**B-Battle Over!" **All Might stammered this time, clearly feeling the vicious cold that had seeped into the observation room "**Victory to the Hero Team!**"

Kirishima was still outside the building, and his expression of shock and utter amazement mirrored much of Class 1A. How could we compete with somebody so strong?

* * *

**Battle 3: Yuga Aoyama and Mashirao Ojiro vs Tenya Iida and Minoru Mineta**

This battle could be a little strange, Aoyama and Mineta were… interesting to say the least, and I pitied Ojiro and Iida for being stuck with such exaggerated personalities. Well, maybe I pitied Ojiro, Iida could probably use a bit of advice on coming across less robotic.

Personalities aside, I wasn't too sure what to expect from the competitors of this match. I was vaguely aware of all of their Quirks, but it was all to play for in my mind. Iida possessed super-speed of some kind, and although being indoors would confine him to some degree, the long, straight corridors would put him at an advantage. Mineta produced strange, sticky spheres from his head, and he had coated the floor of the objective room with the spheres.

When it came to the attackers, Ojiro was the one that I felt had the best chance of winning. His tail Quirk was useful enough, but his martial-arts inspired uniform told me that he would specialise in close combat, and I was interested to see how he could make use of his Quirk when fighting his opponents. Aoyama was the kind of person I would instinctively avoid: loud, outspoken and flamboyant, and while I wouldn't describe those qualities as innately bad, people like that grated on me to no end. Still, he had a laser, so that could be fun to watch.

I internally refused to comment on Mineta's and Aoyama's costumes, though for different reasons, at least they both seemed somewhat confident.

When the match started, Iida had ventured away from the objective, seemingly intent on chasing down his opponents by using his speed. It didn't take long for Ojiro and Aoyama to run into Iida on the top floor, and a clash swiftly broke out between them.

Ojiro used his agility to avoid Iida's first charge, his tail propelling him into the air and out of the reach of Iida's speed. Aoyama seemed intent on a confrontation, and fired off one of his lasers, adopting a rather strange pose while doing so. Iida had seen this coming, and ducked under the beam, sliding across the ground with the impressive momentum his Quirk had given him.

For some reason, Aoyama stopped firing his laser after almost a second, leaving Iida in the clear to dash forwards and engage his flamboyant opponent. I was surprised to see somebody like Iida fight with such speed and fluidity, I had clearly underestimated how fearsome he could be. Aoyama gave a few hurried dodges, but it was clear to everybody watching that the fight was already decided. After another few lightning blows, Aoyama was knocked unconscious, and Iida stood victorious over him.

For some reason Iida decided that the most appropriate way to celebrate this victory was to throw up his arms in what I could only interpret as a poor impression of a villainous laugh. The entire class seemed to be as confused as I was about Iida's behaviour, with proposed explanations ranging from 'Getting really into the role' to 'Grievous head injury'.

Ojiro had gotten clear of Iida, visible to us hanging from the ceiling supports by his tail. He seemed to be visibly confused by Iida's actions as well, before resolving to ambush Iida while he was busy doing… whatever that was.

Ojiro jumped out from his hiding place, whipping his tail forwards to try and knock Iida out with a single surprise attack. Unfortunately, Iida chose that exact moment to kneel down and restrain Aoyama, taking him officially out of the fight. Due to this sudden movement, Ojiro's sneak attack only grazed Iida's helmet, altering him to Ojiro's presence and putting him back on guard.

The fight between the two was short, but nonetheless impressive. Ojiro was wrong-footed by his missed attack, and he was instantly set upon by Iida. The skill of the pair was apparent, and they traded impressive blows for a good length of time, with neither of them seemingly gaining an edge over the other. I couldn't help but be impressed by the skill that the pair had put on display, and I knew that I would have to see them both as future adversaries when it came to close combat.

Though the pair seemed to be evenly matched, it was clear that Ojiro had never really recovered from missing his surprise attack and being put off of his stride. Slowly but surely, Iida pushed Ojiro onto the back foot, turning the duel slowly to his favour. Eventually Ojiro fell to the ground, having slipped over the unconscious form of Aoyama. Iida took this opportunity to restrain the prone form of Ojiro, securing victory for his team.

"**Battle Over!**" All Might called over the speakers "**Victory to the villain team!**"

While the group was treated to images of Iida doing his best 'evil villain' impression, and Mineta sitting in the middle of the objective room, All Might turned to the class, gaining their attention.

"**So you see my students, even a single wrong move in combat can spell defeat.**" All Might boomed, referring to Ojiro's initial misstep "**Remember that as a Pro Hero, the odds of a fight can turn against you in an instant, and you must be prepared for anything!**"

Good advice, and Ojiro's defeat highlighted the point perfectly.

* * *

**Battle 4: Denki Kaminari and Koji Koda vs Toru Hagakure and Mina Ashido**

It was difficult to tell what was going to occur in the fourth match, as it was difficult to tell what most of the competitor's Quirks were. Kaminari was a complete blank, as he looked like a fairly ordinary human, with no visible mutations. Koda's head somewhat resembled a rock or mountain, but I couldn't discern exactly what Quirk that translated to. Ashido was much the same as Koda, with several visible mutations, but nothing that hinted as to what her Quirk might be.

Hagakure was the sole exception, her Quirk couldn't have been much more obvious. Invisibility was a useful power, and I was intrigued to see how she would apply it to the upcoming battle. The implication of her power was… interesting to say the least, as the whole class saw her cast aside her gloves and boots to become completely invisible. Nobody spoke up, but Mineta seemed to have zoned out slightly at what was going on, not that he could see anything.

As soon as the fight began, Ashido and Hagakure (I assume, as Ashido was either talking to her teammate or thin air) rushed out of the objective room, apparently keen on confront their opponents head on. Ashido glided across the ground on some kind of viscous, glue-like substance, whereas Hagakure's movements where entirely unseen.

The two pairs soon met, but as soon as Ashido saw her opponents, she just turned around and started gliding the other way, firing a friendly wave towards her opponents. Koda and Kaminari gave chase as quickly as they could, rushing after their opponent with a mind to attack in a 2-on-1 fight. I initially fought that Ashido was going to turn and confront the pair as soon as she was on favourable ground, but she just kept gliding onwards, staying just out of reach of her opponents.

At one point, Kaminari almost caught up with Ashido, holding out a hand that crackled with electricity to try and subdue his target. Just before he made contact, a large steel bar seemed to appear from out of one of the rooms ahead of the trio, the bar was about 2 feet long, and floating a few feet above the ground. Ashido passed by the bar with a wave, but Kaminari was forced to throw himself to the ground as the bar lashed out at him. As soon as Ashido had gained some distance, the bar dropped to the ground, leaving Koda and Kaminari to chase Ashido, with all of their gained distance erased again.

Hagakure must have been lying in wait for the pair, so Ashido must have deliberately steered the chase towards where Hagakure was waiting. As soon as I started thinking about Ashido's movement paths, I came to the realisation that she had been leading the pair on a circular chase for several minutes, and they were still on the third floor. If they kept this up for any longer then-

"**Time Up!**" All Might announced, the first timeout of the day "**Victory to the villain team!**"

Was that their plan the whole time?

It was ingenious in retrospect, Ashido was clearly faster than either of her opponents, and they had utilised her superior speed to bait their opponents and lead them on a fruitless chase, waiting for the clock to run out. Hagakure's invisibility was clearly useful in this scenario as well, as it enabled her to sneak up on her opponents and bail out her teammate if she was nearly caught. It was a brilliant plan to say the least, and I idly wondered who had come up with it.

Ashido's and Hagakure's strategy was highly unconventional, but judging by the panting forms of Koda and Kaminari, it was important to consider unconventional strategies. Ashido and Hagakure had seemed quite bubbly and straightforward from what I had seen, but their plan was an important reminder of how frighteningly intelligent Hero Course students could be, it was another stark reminder that I couldn't afford to underestimate any of my classmates.

* * *

**Battle 5: Izuku Midoriya and Ochaco Uraraka vs Katsuki Bakugo and Momo Yaoyorozu**

The final fight of the day had arrived, and the tension in the air was palpable. Bakugo had been stewing in one of the room's corners all day, and everybody in the room seemed to sense that there was some bad blood between the competitors of this match.

Midoriya and Uraraka had had a long time to plan out their attack strategy, and they were discussing it outside the building. I wasn't sure exactly what plan they had come up with, but they both seemed intelligent and cooperative enough to come up with something pretty decent. I could tell that Midoriya was still a little high-strung about his match with Bakugo, but he seemed to be a little calmer than usual.

Yaoyorozu was clearly set on a defensive strategy, as she had produced numerous steel panels with her Quirk, which she then placed over the doors to their room to block anybody from entering the room. It was impressive to see such a versatile Quirk in actions, and it was obvious how she had managed to come first in the Quirk Apprehension Test.

Bakugo was clearly annoyed… well more so than usual, he was pacing across the room, occasionally gesturing wildly to Yaoyorozu about whatever it was that had annoyed him so much. Their conversation was clearly getting more and more heated, and I idly wondered if they wouldn't take each other out before the match even started. Well, Bakugo probably would, Yaoyorozu seemed a little too sensible from what little I knew about her,

As soon as the match started, Midoriya and Uraraka had rushed into the building, seemingly set on whatever plan they had conceived together. Bakugo remained in the reinforced room for all of 5 seconds, before blasting a hole in one of the metal-clad doors and striding through the opening, leaving smoke and debris in his wake.

Yaoyorozu seemed to shout after him, before raising her hands in exasperation and attempting to repair the door Bakugo had just blown apart. Something must have been restricting her Quirk use though, as she seemed to be unable to create any more steel panels. The class watched with sympathy as she moved several large wooden crate and metal barrels into the way of the door, somewhat blocking it off.

Before long, Bakugo made contact with Midoriya and Uraraka, and had already engaged in combat against them. Somehow, Midoriya was able to hold Bakugo off without using his self-destructive Quirk, and he had opened a window for Uraraka to go on without him. As soon as they were fighting again, Bakugo had unleashed one of the grenade-shaped gauntlets on his wrist, filling the entire hallway with explosive force.

"**Young Bakugo!**" All Might barked into a microphone "**Do not use such a reckless attack again, if you do so I will be forced to call off the match!**"

There was a growl of anger from the microphone, but it seemed that Bakugo would at least comply with All Might. Despite Midoriya's initial success, it was clear that the encounter had taken its toll on him, leaving him bruised and destroying large portions of his costume. Midoriya eventually managed to leave Bakugo behind, evading his explosive opponent, at least for now.

Uraraka had arrived at Yaoyorozu's room, but it was clear that she was unable to gain access to the room without drawing her opponent's attention. She was forced to wait outside the room, though she was clearly communicating a plan with Midoriya. Yaoyorozu's impressive Quirk had allowed her to fortify the room she stood in to the point that Uraraka would have been unable to break or sneak in, and the one open entrance would leave her right in Yaoyorozu's line of sight.

Bakugo and Midoriya ended up meeting again, just below where Yaoyorozu was situated, it was clear that Midoriya hadn't planned to fight Bakugo there, he had just been chased down by his opponent. The fight was far more brutal this time, with Bakugo going all out with his explosions against Midoriya, who wasn't using his Quirk in retaliation for some reason. At least Bakugo abstained from using his gauntlets this time, having been scolded by All Might for such a reckless attack during a practise bout. Then again, anybody watching the fight between the two wouldn't have guessed that this was a practise fight, the ferocity that the pair fought with was almost frightening in its intensity.

Midoriya was clearly trying to coordinate something with Uraraka, as he was reaching for his earpiece every time he dodged one of Bakugo's blasts, and she was furiously nodding outside of Yaoyorozu's reinforced room. Eventually, Midoriya stepped back and faced his opponent head on, giving some kind of speech before pulling one of his arms back, as if tensing for a punch. Bakugo responded by launching himself forwards, explosive Quirk at the ready to finally defeat his opponent. At the last moment Midoriya's arm seemed to… glow, and I sensed that he was finally activating his Quirk. I readied myself to watch the two clash, but at the last moment Midoriya redirected his attack… upwards?

There was a colossal wave of force that rocked the building we were standing in, causing everyone except All Might to stagger backwards from the sheer force of the blast. When I had recovered, I gazed back to the monitors, seeing what carnage Midoriya had just unleashed with his Quirk. The ceiling above Midoriya had been totally destroyed, causing the room that contained Yaoyorozu and the objective to collapse completely, with large sections of the floor falling to the floor below. Yaoyorozu had fallen as well, and although she landed safely, she was separated from her objective. Uraraka had clearly known this was coming, as she had pushed her way into the room and was using her Quirk to float across the room towards the objective. As soon as the objective had been claimed, All Might spoke into the speaker system, apparently unphased by what had just taken place.

"**Battle Over! Victory goes to the Hero Team!**"

Uraraka was still holding onto the faux bomb, looking like she was hanging on for dear life now the adrenaline of the fight had worn off. The dust was finally settling on the floor below, revealing Midoriya and Bakugo. Bakugo was unmoved from his previous position, though his guard had been lowered and an expression of utter shock covered his face. Midoriya was still standing, his arm raised towards the sky in defiance. Only when the security cameras re-focused did it become obvious that Midoriya had utterly destroyed his arm in the process of using his Quirk, and the entire limb was twisted and covered in purple bruises.

All Might had dashed over to the building, arranging for a stretcher for Midoriya, and assessing the injuries of the other combatants. The whole class was in stunned silence, both at Midoriya's power, and the horrific backlash of his Quirk.

* * *

After the battles had been wrapped up, All Might made a quick exit, sending the rest of us back to our Homeroom Class, the only one absent was Midoriya, who had been taken to the Nurse's Office to have his broken arm healed by Recovery Girl. The trip back was filled with conversation about the battles that had taken place today, and it was strange to hear other people talking about the battle I had taken place in with such enthusiasm.

All Might had offered some parting words of wisdom before rushing off, the wind left in his wake knocked over a few students who weren't expecting such a massive release of energy.

With the trials officially over, the class changed out of our hero outfits and made our way back onto the bus that would take us back to UA. The ride back was filled with conversation, but I took the opportunity to rest my eyes in a futile attempt to get some sleep. When that failed I was left listening to the chatter going on, most of which was about the admittedly impressive final battle.

When we returned to Room 1A we found a note from Aizawa saying that we would go over training results tomorrow, and we had the rest of the day off to rest up and recover. Typically, he had ended it was a vague threat of 'future challenges' but most of the class was just happy for the reprieve.

Midoriya had returned at some point, and was being introduced to several members of the class, though my attention was admittedly taken up by watching Iida attempt to scold Tokoyami for sitting on one of the class desks. To his credit, Tokoyami seemed determined to just ignore Iida, rather than exploding like Bakugo. Speaking of which, the explosive teen was apparently still taking his loss quite hard, and he had left in a hurry. Upon hearing this, Midoriya had rushed after him for some reason, leaving the rest of the class in a bit of a daze.

After a few more minutes spent talking, the rest of the class began to leave, slowly filtering out of the room and talking about plans for the weekend. I walked alone for a bit, not realising that Shoji, Tokoyami and Tsu were following just behind me. By the time I had noticed their presence, I heard that they were talking about weekend plans as well.

"We should meet up some time." It sounded strange to hear Tokoyami speak so… normally.

"It's a good idea to get to know each other a bit better." Shoji added, presumably speaking with one of his dupli-arms

"Ribbit." Tsu's words didn't really mean anything, but she sounded positive.

I didn't mean to pry into their conversation, but they were talking loudly enough that I couldn't help but hear them talk. I wasn't too sure what I would be doing by the end of the week, I'd probably just spend my time sleeping and training, as usual.

"Shinso? You coming?" Shoji called over.

I turned around to face the trio, trying and failing to keep an expression of mild shock off of my face.

"You want me there?" I asked, sounding confused.

And I was, this was the first time I had been invited to something like this since, well, ever.

"Of course, ribbit." Tsu said, her voice sounding even more flat than usual "Why wouldn't we?"

Now what exactly could I say to that?

"I-I'd love to come." I finally replied, cursing myself for sounding both nervous and overeager.

If the other three found this strange, they didn't comment on it at all, and we soon dispersed to catch the various buses and trains that would take us home.

I walked home as normal that day, but something inside me was jumping around with joy, a feeling that I didn't quite understand, but liked all the same.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Nothing much to add this time, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter nonetheless. Besides Shinso's and Midoriya's matches, I actually randomised the Battle Trial teams and matchups, and it proved to be quite an interesting writing challenge._

_I hope I represented the rest of 1A well, I decided to gloss over Midoriya's and Bakugo's fight, as it was pretty much the same as canon. I liked writing these little fights though, it was a nice way to explore some other characters._

_I also tried to highlight Shinso's anxieties and insecurities a bit more towards the end, though I don't intent for this to become an angst story, they're an important part of his character to me._

_I've got the schedule for the chapters I owe set up, they will all come out this week or the next.  
_

_And to answer a review:_

_OnlineOverlord15: Thanks as always for the support and kind words. To answer your question, I've been on a bit of a creative binge lately and have been getting a lot done._

_The next few chapters will be kind of 'filler' between Battle Trials and USJ, but I don't want to neglect character moments, so there will be a lot of those in the next few chapters._

_See you tomorrow!_


	11. Chapter 11- A Day at UA High

Chapter 11: A Day at UA High

* * *

We had gathered in Homeroom again, as Aizawa had insisted on giving everybody feedback on their performance in the Battle Trials. His 'feedback' was typically short and mostly critical, but it at least gave us all some good advice to work on. During this session I was reminded of the face that the rest of my class hadn't yet grown accustomed to Aizawa's behaviour and demeanour, and it was clear that they were consistently confused by him. His habits of falling asleep between speeches and giving helpful advice disguised as scathing criticism were clearly strange to my classmates, even though it was quite normal to me at this point. It was still strange to see Aizawa teaching a class, even more so at a place as prestigious as UA High, perhaps I had associated him too heavily with being the grouchy man who taught me how to fight.

"Shinso."

Aizawa's call to me stopped my train of thought dead in its tracks, and I looked up to face him. I wondered what advice Aizawa would have for me, but I could be certain that it would be valuable insight into my shortcomings. I could only hope that I hadn't disgraced his teachings too heavily during my fight.

"You froze up a few times when facing Tokoyami's Quirk, and some of your capturing tools uses were sloppy." There was a slight pause before he continued "That said, your close combat skills have shown good improvement, I'm glad to see that all that training hasn't gone to waste. Focus your skills as best you can, and don't rely on getting lucky with your Quirk every time."

I was happy with that feedback, but somewhat surprised at the way Aizawa had decided to deliver it. I had decided a little while ago to not flaunt the fact that I had been trained by Aizawa, I didn't want to draw any kind of attention or spite towards myself over any perceived advantages. As well as that, I didn't want Aizawa's reputation as our teacher to be tarnished with accusations of favouritism or something of that nature.

It seemed that Aizawa wasn't too concerned with that fact, or that he was challenging me in some way I couldn't see. Either way, some of my classmates seemed to pick up on the implication of his words, and I had a few curious glances thrown my way before Aizawa thankfully moved onto Shoji.

I wasn't sure exactly what game Aizawa was playing, but I knew that I just had to trust his judgement, he had earned that much from me at least. Besides, I knew that if I did ask him what his plan was in that regard, I would only receive a short spiel about 'logic' before being left just as confused, or even more so, than before.

The rest of Aizawa's criticisms went by without anything interesting really happening, and the rest of the class still seemed to be a little put out by his demeanour. Aizawa soon left us for the rest of our classes, the advice he had given me still ringing in the back of my mind.

* * *

After an explosive first few days, involving both the Quirk Apprehension Test and the Battle Trials, we had finally begun taking normal lessons at UA High, and something occurred to me after a few days of lessons at my new high school.

Hero work aside, UA High was a normal High School.

I mean, it was clearly a prestigious school, but it seemed remarkably standard on a day-to-day basis. The day started with Homeroom, in which Aizawa would either threaten us with excruciating training, or just give us a vague task and then fall asleep. Classes were taught by Pro Heroes, with Present Mic teaching English, Cementoss teaching literature, Ectoplasm teaching Mathematics and Midnight teaching Art History. Mineta almost had an aneurysm at that last one, and she seemed to do nothing but encourage him.

The work was certainly difficult, but I managed to keep up, and the Pro Heroes were remarkably proficient teachers. Indeed, the fact that they were Pro Heroes barely even factored into day-to-day life, and I almost began to see them more as regular teachers. Life at UA was romanticised, but I think a lot of people would be surprised to see how normal it was.

That all changed in the afternoon, where All Might would teach Foundational Hero Studies, which he described as 'Hero Work 101'. The training sessions were generally more calm than the battle trials, but they were nonetheless helpful in what we learned, and they served as good training.

The lessons were sometimes pure theory, which always drew a groan from the majority of the class, but there were practical sessions as well. It seemed that we would be focusing on basic training for quite a while, as the practical sessions usually just involved us changing into UA Sports Uniforms and practising some kind of physical activity. I was nothing new or exciting to me, but it at least let me continue my physical training, as well as providing me with a sense of how physically inclined the rest of my class was.

The more gruelling Hero Class lessons were helpful in that they provided the whole class (with a few exceptions) with a sense of camaraderie, the shared difficulty of the tasks letting us rely on each other more and more as well as bonding over the experience. It was a strange thing, even though I hadn't really even spoken to more than half the class, it seemed like we had all become somewhat friendly with each other, excluding the constantly furious Bakugo and the cold and distant Todoroki.

Overall, it was strange to see how quickly the class had fallen into a routine, with much of UA resembling a regular school when I was walking through its halls. Despite the feeling of normalcy, I would still occasionally find myself feeling elated or giddy at the most random moments, as the realisation that I was attending UA High's Hero Course would sometimes make its way back into the forefront of my mind.

I suppose that those brief moments of realisation were what kept me so motivated during my first few days at UA, and I did my best to focus my motivation and threw myself wholly into my work.

* * *

Of course, not everything was normal at UA. I had come to that realisation when I had turned up earlier than usual one day to see a cluster of news vans and other media vehicles parked outside the school. There was a crowd of reporters and camera operators gathered around the UA entrance gate, just far enough away to avoid triggering the school's many security countermeasures.

I did my best to push through the crowd unnoticed, and had made it about halfway through before my luck had run out.

"Hey! You!" A female voice called out, and at the sound of the voice a dozen cameras had swivelled to face me, causing me to freeze in surprise "What can you tell us about All Might? How is he adapting to life as a teacher?" Dozens more questions were shouted towards me, individual voices being drowned out in the cacophony of questioning.

The questions that had been thrown towards me made it obvious why the media was here, and I mentally kicked myself for being so naïve for not realising what was going on sooner. Of course they were here for All Might, the media followed him like a bad smell, and I was surprised it took them this long to show up at UA. I was overwhelmed by the attention at first, and the countless cameras and microphones being pressed towards me caused me to freeze for a moments. Soon enough, a simple solution came to mind, I knew I couldn't use my Quirk without getting into legal trouble, but there was a far simpler solution staring me right in the face.

"General Studies." I muttered, the simple lie hitting a little close to home given the last few months "Go bother one of the Hero Students."

As soon as I had said that, their attention in me had evaporated, and the reporters parted to allow me an easy path into UA. A small grin made its way onto my face when I realised the lie had worked, and I made sure to remember this moments for any future media encounters. I looked back briefly to see Bakugo also working his way through the crowd of media, though his approach at getting through the group was far more drastic than my own, though admittedly it was just as effective.

After making my way through the media circus, I found myself in Homeroom class again, and Aizawa only arrived a few minutes behind me and the rest of the class, wearing a look on his face that told me he had fought through the reporters as well. Aizawa was staring silently at the class, waiting for the embers of conversation to die down. His silence was worrying, as I had only seen it before when he had been training me, and it was usually followed with him announcing some new and brutal training method. The rest of the class had clearly picked up on the tension in the air as well, and all 20 of us waited with bated breath for whatever it was he was going to announce.

"Today…" Aizawa muttered, drawing all attention towards him "Will decide the rest of your lives."

The sentence caused ripples of worry to shoot through the room, Aizawa's dire words seemingly confirming the worries of many students in the room. I wondered what kind of training Aizawa would have in store for us today, but prior experience told me it would be stressful and difficult to an extreme degree.

"You have to choose a Class President." Aizawa said, cutting off the chatter. I could see a small smile on his face, clearly happy with the trick he had just pulled.

There was a general sigh of relief from the group, choosing a Class President was a normal school event, and something that would occur at any High School Class in the country, and even a place like UA High would have something so normal going on. However, the role was far more important to most at a place like UA, being chosen to be Class President wasn't just a way to get saddled with more work, it was something young heroes would do to demonstrate an aptitude for leadership and command, and showing such attributes early on could help with a heroes' career further on down the line. A leading hero would have to be a paragon of honour and justice, and somebody who would stand in front of crowds as an example of everything a hero could be.

So basically, a leading hero was everything I wasn't.

It was the truth, Aizawa had told me months ago that I would never be a paragon-style hero, it simply wasn't possible given my Quirk and the way I had been trained. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little resentful of that fact, but I had accepted it, and moved forwards regardless. Aizawa had been telling me constantly about how an Underground Hero is meant to act, and standing in the spotlight at the head of a group of heroes was the antithesis of everything I had been taught by my grouchy mentor.

I didn't resent that fact, it was simply the way things were.

While I had been thinking, Iida had been talking to Aizawa, and had convinced him that a democratic vote was the best way to choose a Class President. Well, I say 'convinced' it was more like Iida had suggested it to Aizawa and our teacher was clearly too tired or disinterested to argue or come up with his own suggestion. Concerns that everyone would just vote for themselves were addressed by saying that not everyone would, and so whoever earned multiple votes was clearly deserving of the office.

Aizawa had essentially agreed with Iida, simply saying that he didn't care about how the President was chosen, only that they were. With that statement he pulled out his sleeping bag from… somewhere and had promptly fallen asleep. When I saw that Iida was doing his best to justify his course of action, I couldn't help but think that Aizawa had the right idea, a nap sounded really good right now…

With a few members of the class asking Iida questions about the validity of the process, and whether or not it was the best way to pick the leader of our class, I found myself more and more tempted to close my eyes and try and grab a few moments of sleep. Alas, Iida managed to assuage these concerns by speaking in a surprisingly passionate manner about how important democracy and voting was, the lengthy spiel quietening the questions that my classmates had.

With Iida having lectured the whole class on the importance of the democratic process, he insisted that we all properly introduce ourselves to the class. Although I agreed that this would probably be a good idea, it felt a bit too much like a Middle School icebreaker activity to me, and his next addition cemented that thought in my mind.

"You should also all tell everybody your Quirk and something interesting about yourself." Iida barked, chopping his hand through the air "As well as whether or not you intend to run for Class President!"

Despite my apathy towards the whole election concept, I made sure to pay attention towards the introductions that my classmates would be making. I still knew very little about most of them, and the information that would be revealed could be highly useful in any future battles or training. Approaching this activity like a training exercise or reconnaissance mission was the motivation I needed to stay awake, as well as the knowledge that it wouldn't hurt to know the people I would be spending the next three years learning alongside.

"Very Well. My name is Yuga Aoyama!" The first student- Aoyama- stood up, adopting a rather flamboyant pose and speaking in a French accent "My Quirk is the fabulous Navel Laser! I speak French! And I would be delighted to be your Class President!"

A small joke about French History and the perils of leadership positions came into my mind, but I realised it was probably not the best time to start cracking jokes, even to myself.

"Cool, I'm Mina Ashido." Ashido stood up next, sounding genuinely excited, though from what I had seen of her that seemed to be her normal state "My Quirk is Acid, it's pretty much what you think. I take dance classes on weekends, and I'd love to be the Class Prez!"

"I'm Tsuyu Asui, but you can all call me Tsu." Tsu croaked as she stood "My Quirk is Frog, I can do pretty much anything a Frog can. I take care of my younger siblings a lot, and I think I might try to be Class President."

"My name is Tenya Iida." Iida stood up dead straight, placing a hand over his chest "My Quirk is Engine, they're like small jets on my legs. Hero work has been in my family for a long time, and I would be honoured to accept the responsibility of being Class President"

"I'm Ochaco Uraraka." Uraraka was speaking a lot quieter than the last few students "My Quirk is Zero Gravity, it lets me remove the gravity of anything I touch. My family works in construction, and I don't think I'll run for Class President."

The first refusal, it was interesting to see that not everybody in the class was aiming for a leadership position.

"I'm Mashirao Ojiro, and you can probably guess what my Quirk is." The blond teen stood up next, his comment eliciting a few chuckles from the room "I practise martial arts, and I'll pass on being Class President."

"Call me Denki Kaminari." Kaminari stood up next "My Quirk is Electrification, it lets me zap anything I touch. I can also use my Quirk to interact with electronics, and I reckon I could be a good Class President."

"The name's Ejiro Kirishima!" The red-haired teen stood up, raising an arm above his head "My Hardening Quirk lets me turn my entire body into a rocky substance. I spend a lot of time working out and training, and I'd like to try and be Class President."

Koda stood up next, but he elected to deliver his entire speech in sign language. I wouldn't have minded normally, but my position in the class meant I could only see his back and the occasional broad hand gesture. Whatever, I could remember his name and I was sure I could figure out what he said later on.

Oh, it's me next.

"I'm Hitoshi Shinso. My Quirk is Brainwashing, it lets me control other people." I winced slightly when I described my Quirk out loud, hoping that nobody reacted poorly, I also made sure to omit the condition of my Quirk, it wouldn't do to reveal my weakness so openly "I have a few pet cats, and I'm not interested in being Class President."

It was the truth, although my subconscious told me that nobody would vote for me anyway, I mentally justified the decision under the pretence that all my skills relied on being unnoticed by villains, so it would be counterproductive to put myself in such a public position. There were a few odd expressions on some student's faces when I mentioned my Quirk, but at least nobody said anything.

"I'm Mezo Shoji." Shoji stood up, his massive frame thankfully drawing attention from me and my Quirk "My Quirk is dupli-arms, it lets me replicate different things on the ends of my limbs. I've never really cared for material possessions, and I'm not worried about being Class President."

"My name's Kyoka Jiro." Jiro stood up, her bored voice putting me in mind of Aizawa "My Earphone Jacks let me hear better and send out sonic waves. I play a lot of instruments, and I'll try out this Class President thing."

"Hey, I'm Hanta Sero." Sero flashed a smile at the room, showing off a triangular grin full of straight teeth "My Quirk lets me produce super-strong tape from my elbows. I seem to end up repairing people's furniture a lot, and I'll try out being President."

"My name is Fumikage Tokoyami." Tokoyami's voice was typically dark and dramatic, and his dramatic flair drew a fair bit of attention to him "My Dark Shadow Quirk summons a shadowy beast from my soul. I enjoy the darkness, and I shall attempt to become Class President."

"Shoto Todoroki, Half Cold, Half Hot." Todoroki didn't stand up at all, and that seemed to be the entirety of his speech.

"I'm Toru Hagakure, and I'm invisible!" Hagakure stood up, adopting what was assumedly an excited pose, though it was difficult to make out given her Quirk "I love cute things! And I'll try out being Class President!"

"Katsuki Bakugo, and my Quirk is explosion." Bakugo stood, and I wondered if he was going to keep his ego down for once "I'm gonna be a better hero than all you extras anyway, so you may as well vote for me."

I don't know why I even thought he might keep his ego in check for once, it was almost impressive that his personality was so obvious after only a few weeks.

"I- I'm Izuku Midoriya, and my Quirk is O-" There was silence for a few seconds, and Midoriya seemed to be at a loss for words "My Quirk is Super-Power, I'm a big fan of All Might, and I- I'll try out being President."

"My name's Minoru Mineta, and my Pop-Off Quirk lets me produce these sticky spheres from my head." Mineta stood from his seat, though this actually made him lower down than before "People say I'm a ladies' man, and I'd like to be the President."

There were several expressions of puzzlement or outright revulsion from the female members of the class towards Mineta, but nobody was too surprised by his actions, we had come to expect them already in the few days we had spent together.

"My name is Momo Yaoyorozu, and my Quirk is Creation, it lets me create any object as long as I understand it's molecular makeup." As Yaoyorozu stood, I was pondering her Quirk, and her explanation did nothing to say why she was unable to continue creating during her Battle Trial "I love all kinds of tea, and I'll be honoured to be Class President."

With the electoral speeches out of the way, Iida distributed paper slips and told everybody to write down who they vote for, and those votes would then be counted up.

I found myself putting a strange amount of thought into who I would vote for, and I could see a lot of other people were taking it strangely seriously as well. I ruled out Iida quite quickly, as even though I didn't dislike the guy, as I knew he would likely run the class like it was a military school.

In the end, I settled on Tsu, she was probably the person in the class I knew best, and she was clearly pretty calm, as well as level headed. Iida collected the votes and read them out. As expected, most people had voted for themselves, but Midoriya ended up winning with 4 votes, and Yaoyorozu came in second with 2, making her the deputy.

Midoriya seemed quite shocked by this turn of events, and he professed that he was totally unsuited for the job, which seemed to bother his deputy. Yaoyorozu was somebody that I still didn't have a good read on, the only things I knew about her were her Quirk and the fact that she was one of the recommendation students. Aizawa clearly didn't care about the election, he was simply glad to have it sorted out without his intervention. After some parting words, he sent us away for the rest of our classes.

* * *

When lunch break came around, I found myself sitting with Shoji, Tokoyami and Tsu again, which had become quite routine over the past few days. It made sense that we would gravitate towards each other, Class 1A was still mostly full of strangers, and we all knew each other decently well, so we ended up sitting together.

The food was as amazing as ever, Lunch Rush somehow managed to one-up himself every day. Today's dish was Ramen, and he managed to find a way to make such a simple food taste amazing. The conversation between the four of us tended to bounce around different topics, but we found ourselves talking about the Class President election, albeit mostly out of boredom and the lack of other topics to discuss.

"I agree with your assessment Shoji." Tokoyami said, speaking between mouthfuls of ramen "Midoriya is likely a good choice, he's shown himself to be determined and driven already."

"That's why I voted for him, ribbit." Tsu said, drawing the confused expressions of Shoji and Tokoyami towards her "What?"

"If you voted for Midoriya." Shoji spoke with his main mouth, as his tentacle-mouth was busy ingesting food "Then who voted for you?"

"That's what I've been wondering, ribbit." Tsu placed her finger on her chin, looking perplexed.

Something in my silence or expression must have caught Tsu's attention, as she looked towards me.

"Did you vote for me Shinso?" She sounded curious, though I still couldn't help but interpret it like it was some kind of accusation

"I mean- yeah." I said, feeling like I was confessing to some kind of crime "I only really know you three here, and I know you're pretty calm and level-headed, I thought it would be a good choice."

I shrugged and swallowed another forkful of ramen, wondering why I felt embarrassed about something so minor.

"Oh, well than-"

Any further conversation was cut off by the sound of a blaring alarm suddenly cutting through the room, catching the instant attention of every student in the hall. The siren was intercut with a warning about a 'Level 3 Breach', though I had no idea about what that meant. The four of us looked at each other in confusion, and I realised that we would probably know what was going on if Aizawa hadn't insisted on pulling us out of the entrance seminars.

I could see Tokoyami ask a second-year student what a Level 3 Breach was, confusion evident in his normally calm voice.

"It means the UA perimeter has been breached!" The student sounded hysterical, her voice full of panic "This has never happened while I've been here, we need to go!"

The student ran off towards the exit, which was currently filled with hundreds of students, all of them trying to get out of the building as quickly as possible. The four of us were on the opposite side of the room, so it took us a long time to get over to the exit door.

By the time we had arrived at the door, it had turned into a crushing press of hundreds of students. It was a complete gridlock, and the four of us looked on at the scene ahead with a mixture of confusion and concern.

"So…" I said, trying to inject some levity into my voice to defuse some of the tension "All in favour of avoiding that mess?"

"Yeah"

"Indeed"

"Ribbit"

With our course of action decided, we simply waited outside of the corridor, idly observing the gridlock of students and wondering exactly what had caused the alarm to trigger in the first place.

We watched the commotion go on for a few more minutes, the gridlock of students still showing no sign of letting up, so we remained where we stood, a good distance from the crushing press of bodies. A few minutes passed with the four of us simply left standing around and watching the crowd slowly advance, though the press showed no sign of shrinking or growing calmer, leaving us stuck watching the commotion with barely-restrained worry. As the minutes dragged on, an awkward silence settled between the four of us, making the already worrying situation somewhat uncomfortable for us as well.

"Ribbit." Tsu spoke up again, her level tone cutting through the repeating alarm as I silently thanked her for breaking the silence "Are we still meeting up on Saturday?"

I thought it was a little strange for Tsu to bring our weekend plans up at a time like this, but I realised that this was a way to keep people calm and take their minds off of the situation at hand. There was a chorus of assent from Shoji and Tokoyami, and I just nodded when I realised that Tsu was looking at me, apparently waiting for my response.

Any further conversation was halted by the admittedly odd sight of Iida floating through the air a few feet above the crowd, a phenomenon that I could only attribute to Uraraka's Quirk acting on him, though I was too far away to confirm this suspicion. The four of us watched with bemusement as Iida slowly floated towards the end of the corridor, eventually perching himself on the large emergency sign, which got the attention of everybody in the hallway.

I was too far away to hear what Iida was saying, but Shoji's impressive hearing had clearly picked out what Iida had said, and he relayed this information to the three of us. Apparently the reporters from earlier had forced their way into the school, and while they were highly irritating, there was no real threat to the school. I couldn't help but feel relieved at this news, and while I had stayed outwardly calm, I sighed with relief internally. Aizawa had always been openly critical of the media during our time training, and he had also made several such comments during the lessons we had had with him at UA. I had always somewhat understood his disdain, what with him being an underground hero and all, but this was the first time I had really grasped why he held the attitudes he did.

With Iida's announcement filtering through the class, the gridlock finally began to disperse, with students making their way back towards lunch tables and classrooms. There was an air of relief amongst the crowd, but also frustration at the media who had caused this whole incident in the first place. The four of us walked back to the table we were occupying earlier, gathering up bags and food that had been hastily abandoned in the earlier panic. I felt like I was on autopilot for a while, while my body was acting normally, my mind was frozen, lingering on a question that had just come to my mind when the panic had subsided.

Part of me wondered exactly how the media had managed to force their way into UA, as the school's defences were sure to be mighty indeed. It was possible that one of them had used their Quirk to gain entry, or the defences had simply failed to activate properly. These reasons, and dozens more flew through my mind as I tried to conceive of why the media would force their way into UA High, and how they would even be capable of such a thing without being noticed by members of UA staff.

There was one final thought that came to my mind, and even though I tried my best not to acknowledge it, the mere idea chilled me to the bone.

Had somebody inside UA let them in?

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Another Chapter done, this one serving to highlight some of the normality that goes on at a school for young superheroes. Though I feel this chapter might be a bit too much like filler, I hope it still provides a few good character moments._

_I added the section where the Class of 1A introduce themselves for a few reasons, firstly it was so Shinso would know everybody's names and have a vague idea of their personalities. It also let me try writing a little dialogue for each character, so I tried to sum up their personality with these little short introductions. I know it is a little unneeded from the POV of a reader, but it's important information for Shinso to know._

_I decided to keep Iida as Class President for a few reasons. Firstly, Shinso doesn't really fit in that role, and I think it would be a departure from his character to have him end up in that position. Though to be honest, I mainly made the decision because Shinso is the ultimate sarcastic comedian (maybe tied with Jiro), and seeing him interact with Iida hamming it up was an opportunity too great to miss._

_Also yes, Midoriya did tell Class 1A that his Quirk is called Superpower, I didn't make that up._

_I apologise for another delay, I've moved back into University, and everything's been quite chaotic for a few weeks, so I've struggled to get content written. As well as that, I've been putting a lot of time and energy into reviving The Faceless Alchemist, which will be returning tomorrow. Rather than trying to compensate this story by releasing an obscene amount of content in a week or so (which totally kills my motivation) there will be a chapter every day for the rest of this week and for the following 4 weeks. This should hopefully be the last delay; my life has been chaotic for a while and things are finally settling back to normality._

_I got quite a few reviews on the last chapter, so I'll answer them now:_

_Alexanderjuarez499: Shinso will always be training and learning new things, UA demands nothing less from it's students. I can't be too sure about adding specific fighting styles or martial arts, but he will always be learning new techniques._

_Warrior-Maniac: Thanks for the kind words, I'm always happy to hear reviews. I'm still not sure on the idea of adding romance/pairings into this story, though if I do they won't be the central focus of the story. Reiko is actually an interesting character for Shinso to interact with, and while I'd planned for 1B to get more involved I didn't have anything particular in mind for Reiko, but I'll remember her._

_Raven Mordrake: I have a few written down, and I've added your suggestion. I'm struggling between giving him an appropriate name while also remembering that he's trying his best to keep his Quirk secret from villains, so we'll see how that pans out._

_Evergone the Great: Oh yeah, that's gonna come in handy for Midoriya to be sure, though he may have been a little distracted by his worries with Bakugo and planning with Uraraka. But you're right in saying that this will come back later._

_REX559: Shinso's a clever guy, and I'm sure he'll learn all sorts of techniques to fight his opponents and exploit their weaknesses, that's what Aizawa taught him._

_Donovan77: I was trying to show off some of the other characters a bit, so Shinso might have seemed like he was taking a back seat. The USJ will show off his skill a lot more._

_Turannoktonnos: I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the story, and that you're looking forwards to the USJ as much as I am. Also yes, Aizawa is best dad._

_Thank you all for the support, and I'll see you tomorrow!_


	12. Chapter 12- Building Bridges

Chapter 12: Building Bridges

* * *

Sometimes I would be surprised by my own actions, and would struggle to come up with a reasonable explanation for why I acted like I did. I was someone who (in my own opinion at least) acted fairly rationally, not letting emotion get in the way of making the correct decisions in my life, Aizawa might have rubbed off on me in this regard. Yet today was one of those days that I struggled to rationalise my actions, it should have been a simple day, just going to meet some friends from school for the day, enjoying some time away from UA's busy schedule. Totally normal, something that any student would have done hundreds of times before even entering High School, it was about the most unremarkable event that could possibly take place in anyone's life..

So why on Earth did I feel so damn nervous?

I wasn't the only one acting strangely either, when I had told my mother that I was meeting friends from school, she had responded strangely. She had frozen for a moment, before just nodding and walking off, looking like she was about to burst into tears. I was a little baffled by her response to say the least, but I had tried to brush it off. It wasn't like I had said something unusual, was it? Was something else I had said bothering her?

Regardless of any emotional confusion going on in the Shinso household, I had worked hard all week at UA, with the school requiring constant and intense focus from me for much of my time. Thankfully, Saturday had rolled around somewhat quickly, the media's apparent assault on UA had been largely pushed aside, though there was still some tension and animosity left in the building for the rest of the week, and the fact that the cause of the incident was still unknown didn't help matters. Despite all of the camera's surrounding UA during the incident, there was surprisingly little footage of exactly what had happened, a fact that made me suspect that the various news stations were either unwilling or unable to show the footage of their reporters storming UA campus, I would bet on the first possibility myself.

By some cruel twist of fate, my short exchange with the reporters had ended up amongst the footage being broadcast, a fact that neither my brother or sister were likely to let me forget for quite a while. In fact, I had been hearing 'Just in General Studies' from them for almost the last hour, and I had even received a message from _Aizawa _congratulating me for dealing with the media so easily, and that I should practise lying to them and avoiding them as often as possible. I forgot just how much Aizawa disliked the media, but it was typical of him to start a message with a congratulations and end it with a recommendation for a new type of training. I mentally added it to the pile of everything else I was training and practising, at least I knew that that knowledge could come in handy at some point. I knew that if I ever made it big as a hero I would likely be hounded by the media endlessly, and I would have to employ my skills of evasion and misdirection against any reporter who bothered me too much. Despite the logic in that

I had spent a little too much time wondering exactly how formally dressed I should be for today, before finally concluding that I was being overprepared and just dressing casually. As always, my hair resisted any attempts to be tamed or styled in any way, and I wondered if that was part of a mutation. Mutant-Type Quirks were only one facet of how humanity had visually changed since the appearance of Quirks and my purple hair, Bakugo's red eyes and Ashido's entire appearance were examples of this fact. All of these attributes were unheard of before the appearance of Quirks, but now these characteristics were relatively common, even if they didn't relate to the person's Quirk.

With one last glance at my phone in order to check for any unexpected changes or developments, I finally left home, and entered the busy weekend streets of Tokyo. The city was as busy as ever, with crowds of people pressed shoulder-to-shoulder as they made their way through the packed streets. Tsu had chosen the location for the meeting today, promising that it would be more quiet than the rest of the city, a statement that I certainly hoped was true, as my current observations told me that any store or restaurant within a few miles would likely be packed with people. I tried my best to remember the directions Tsu had sent me and began to negotiate my way through the rest of the city, doing my best to avoid the most crowded areas.

Progress through Central Tokyo was slow going, but I managed to avoid any delays or villain attacks. The latter were still disturbingly frequent, even with All Might's presence in the city, and this frequency of attacks was one of the reasons hero presence was so high in Tokyo, with countless agencies making their home in the great city. The crowds started to thin out a bit as I followed Tsu's directions away from the very centre of the city, and the cloying sense of claustrophobia that had followed me finally started to dissipate; I wasn't too bothered by large crowds, but I valued peace and solitude to a great degree, so a busy city centre was something I usually tried to avoid.

After a few more minutes of weaving my way through side-streets I finally caught sight of a mass of white hair that I recognised as belonging to Shoji, my classmate easily towering over everybody around him. Indeed, his intimidating appearance meant that he was able to carve out a small island of peace in the middle of the crowds of Tokyo, an island that also contained Tokoyami and Tsu, who were standing in the space that Shoji had provided. After a moment of wondering if I had been keeping them waiting, I changed course to cut towards the three, ignoring the grunts and mutters of those I moved past. Shoji eventually noticed me, and he must have communicated my presence to the other two, as they all turned to face me.

I finally pushed my way into Shoji's sphere of safety, nearly panting with the exertion it took to move through crowds of tourists and families on their way to whatever destination awaited them. I waved at my three classmates, trying to straighten out my clothes from the impacts of the crowd I had just pushed through.

My three classmates must have been watching me fight my way through the crowd with some amusement, as they all seemed to be somewhat amused by my current situation. Well, Tsu's face was as blank as ever, Shoji's face was covered by another mask and Tokoyami's expression was largely unreadable, but I at least got an impression of amusement from the three of them.

At the very least I could see that I was appropriately dressed for the occasion, as the other three all wore rather casual clothes. It was almost strange to see my classmates outside of their school uniforms or hero costumes, it was akin to seeing Aizawa in casual clothes.

Okay, that was a bad example, but the point still stood.

I had come to associate everybody at UA with the school, so it was a change of pace to see my fellow heroes-in-training in casual wear. Well, I say casual, Tokoyami was still wearing a black cape, but over more casual clothing, his dedication to his aesthetic was pretty impressive, and it made him far easier to find in a crowd. In a way, the casual clothing was a good reminder of my circumstances. I often saw UA as this monolithic organisation of prestige and class, and everybody who attended the school was equally as prestigious and driven. Seeing my classmates outside of school reminded me that they were all still human, young heroes in training just like me.

"Hey." I finally said, trying and failing to push a stray strand of hair back into place "Were the crowds this bad for all of you as well?"

"We all came that way." Shoji turned and pointed behind him. Sure enough, there was a side street that I hadn't noticed that connected with the street we were on. Compared to where I had just come from, it was almost abandoned, and I cursed myself for not considering such an obvious side route.

"So, what's the plan?" Shoji asked, for once speaking out of his head's mouth rather than using his limbs.

"I know a great restaurant a few blocks away." Tsu suggested, pointing to the other side of the crowd "They serve the best Katsudon I've ever tasted."

"Sound's good to me." I said, looking towards my three companions.

"Sure." Shoji shrugged with all six shoulders.

"Indeed, I would like to partake of such excellent sustenance." Tokoyami finally spoke up, making me realise that he didn't use weekends to practise speaking in a less dramatic fashion, though I knew I probably shouldn't have been surprised by this fact "The only issue is how to navigate this blasted crowd of people, they obstruct our passage like an impregnable barrier of-."

"Leave it to me." Shoji muttered, cutting through Tokoyami's spiel when it seemed that he was struggling for the right word. Before we could ask what Shoji meant, he walked right past us and straight into the crowd, which seemed to instinctively part to let him through, his massive frame carving an invisible barrier around him.

The three of us all watched for a moment before joining Shoji, careful not to get swept up in the wave of people.

* * *

It had taken a while, with several streets and at least one wrong turn getting in the way of us and our destination, but we had finally arrived at our destination. It was a rather small restaurant, tucked away in one of the many side-streets of Tokyo. Indeed, there were no signs to advertise its presence at the street entrance, and it was unlikely that any passers-by would even notice the small place. However, there was an undeniable charm to the place, with a warm atmosphere and gentle music emanating from the building. Tsu seemed to know the owner of the restaurant well, and she would later tell us that he was one of her uncles, his toad-like appearance making this rather obvious in retrospect.

We were escorted up several flights of stairs, eventually taking us to a rooftop terrace that provided a nice view of Central Tokyo, though the building was still dwarfed by skyscrapers on every side. We were quickly given a table and had our orders taken, the speed of the entire procedure scarcely giving me time to pick out what I wanted to eat, so I ended up following Tsu's earlier recommendation. The place was remarkable relaxing, and I couldn't help but feel at ease while surrounded by my classmates in this remarkably welcoming restaurant.

Once we were settled we began to talk, our conversation of course started on the topic of UA and our hero studies. While it had swiftly become normal to all of us, I forgot how well-known UA was, and our conversation drew several surprised glances from nearby tables of patrons. Indeed, a child from another table had walked over with a napkin and a pen and asked us to sign it for her on the for when we all became famous heroes, the request drew a laugh from all of us, but we complied, filling the napkin with four signatures. It occurred to me that we were all writing our normal names, as none of us yet had hero names to refer to ourselves as. I wondered when exactly UA would bring that up, but I could be certain that it would come up in a future lesson. The child had left with an awestruck expression, and her easy enthusiasm made it seem like we were already famous heroes.

After a while, the subject of our discussions began to vary wildly, from the current top heroes (meaning All Might) to rumours of an organised group of villains that the media had been talking about for several weeks now. None of us really believed that the group was as much of a threat that the media was claiming, though it seemed a little arrogant to proclaim something like that, All Might's mere existence made such groups seem small and insignificant by comparison. Villain organisations were largely a thing of the past, relics from a time where villains were numerous enough, and still controlled areas of the country to such a degree that they were able to form confederations out in the open, with little fear of reprisal. These days, in an age of heroes, villain groups were seen as a liability, as it simply made villains slower to act and easier to notice, leading to swift capture from the heroes filling the world.

The food had arrived incredibly quickly, and the waiter had assured us that we could order anything else we wanted at any time. Once we were left on our own, we sat in silence for several seconds, eating whatever we had been given. The food was beyond amazing, and I made a mental note to try and remember the name and location of the place, knowing that I would want to visit again sometime.

The silence persisted for a while, and it swiftly became awkward and suffocating. I finally tried to break the silence, thinking of the first thing I could use to get the conversation started again.

"Thank you all for inviting me." I muttered, feeling a little embarrassed "To be honest, I'm surprised how easy it's been to make friends here at UA."

"Didn't you have anybody you knew well at Junior High?" Shoji asked with one mouth while another swallowed forkfuls of noodles.

"Not really." I admitted, unsure of why I was being so open "Most people thought I would end up being a villain one day, so they ended up avoiding me."

There were several seconds of silence once I had said that, as I scolded myself for saying something like that. We had been having a relaxing time, and I couldn't help but drag the mood down. It almost felt like an admission, something that I didn't even really realise myself until I had said it out loud, though it was painfully obvious in retrospect.

"I had much the same experience." Tokoyami spoke up then, his voice sounding softer and less dramatic than usual "Most of my peers found my demeanour and Quirk to be unusual, so I spent much of my time by myself."

It was strange to hear such an admission from somebody like Tokoyami, as while he seemed to be a rather solitary person, he was also outgoing and even a little eccentric, traits that usually came from those who were more socially confident. Still, children would often bully, or pick fights off of the smallest differences and slights, and it was depressingly easy to see how Tokoyami's dramatic flair could make him a target to be ignored or ostracised by his peers.

"Same here." Shoji spoke up next "I guess my Quirk makes me a little intimidating, so a lot of my class were scared of me, especially in Elementary School."

Shoji was another surprise, but I guess the reaction of fear towards him from young children wasn't entirely unexpected, even with how commonplace mutant-type Quirks were today, there was still the initially reaction of surprise from new people towards many Mutant-types. At that moment I considered Shoji's mask for the first time, as well as the fact that he hadn't used his Quirk at all while we were moving through the crowd earlier. Shoji's mask was something that I had just gotten used to, but I couldn't help but wonder what was underneath, as well as if Shoji was somewhat self-conscious about his Quirk. I made a mental note to talk to Shoji about this if he ever needed to talk to somebody, he was the first person I met at UA, and the first that made me feel welcome there, I owed him help if he ever needed it.

"I never really had many friends before UA either." Tsu said, drawing attention towards her "I guess most people found me too emotionless, I only had one real friend before I got here. That's why I'm so glad to be hear at UA, everyone is so much more welcoming."

It was strange to hear Tsu speak on such emotional terms, and even more so to hear her voice sounding so downcast and sullen. The mood of the table had quickly dipped, and I couldn't believe I had been so foolish as to ignore the circumstances and emotional states of my classmates. I had been too caught up in my own past, and it was stupid of me to think that my fellow classmates hadn't had similar experiences.

After that last confession, there was silence again, as all four of us pondered our circumstances. I had never really acknowledged this fact before, but I had largely grown up alone, surrounded by people who expected me to turn into a villain at the slightest provocation, or even just on a whim. There were days that I almost found myself believing them, when everyone around me kept saying that I was destined to go bad, it was hard to keep denying that to myself. I must have been ignoring this reality for a while, but saying it aloud had finally made me realise just how lonely I had been.

Was that why my mother had almost cried when I said I was meeting friends today? Had I never done that before? Thinking back on it, I could never remember a time where I had met anybody outside of school apart from chance collision, which never lasted long. With that thought in my mind, I looked to my three classmates around me.

No, not classmates.

Companions.

_Friends._

I had people who were accepting of me now, UA had provided that for me as well, I didn't need to worry about my Quirk turning people away from me. I could see that the other three were all caught in thought, no doubt lingering on memories of worse times. But they were friends, and I felt a duty to cheer them up, to remind them of the present.

With that last thought in my mind, I spoke up, injecting as much levity into my voice as I could manage.

"Well then, I guess we're a band of merry outcasts." I said, drawing a chuckle from my three fellows "We'll just have to look out for each other if no one else will."

Though what I had said sounded cheesy, I had meant every word of it, and I hoped that the others had realised that. That proclamation had drawn the group from memories of the past, and conversation restarted again, a change of pace that I welcomed. Though the topic of our talks was the same as earlier, I couldn't help but feel that a weight had been lifted from my back, and I could see that the other three were feeling much the same.

Time seemed to fly by as we discussed anything and everything, desserts came and went, and a few rounds of tea seemed to fly by as well. I hadn't felt this relaxed in ages, content to simply sit back and discuss whatever I wanted with people I could honestly call friends, I tried to think of the last time I had felt this content, but couldn't think of anything.

Still, there was no point lingering on the past, not when the present was so promising, and for the first time I could remember, the future seemed even brighter.

* * *

After another half hour of discussion, the four of us finally left the restaurant, leaving behind a pile of yen on the table as well as compliments to the waiting staff, who jokingly thanked Tsu for bringing them three new customers. It was late afternoon by now, and the streets were far more quiet than when we had arrived, though the night-time crowds would surely arrive within a few hours.

Though Tokyo's nightlife was well known and highly appealing, we were all still far too young for most of the attractions it offered. As well as that, a lecture that All Might had given earlier this week about the prevalence of night-time crime was still fresh in my mind, and so the rapidly approaching darkness filled me with a slight sense of wariness.

We mutely agreed that it was time to part ways, all of us still had piles of homework from UA to get through, and we all had other things to attend to as well. Shoji and Tokoyami departed first, catching a train and a bus towards their respective homes; well, Tokoyami said he was 'returning to his dark abode' but we all knew what he meant by that. That had left just me and Tsu, and it turned out we lived relatively close to each other, meaning we would walk back together.

Our conversation on the walk back drifted from topic to topic, though it mainly centred on our studies and on the world of heroics in general. Tsu seemed to be a fairly straightforward person, always speaking what was on her mind in the bluntest way possible, so it was strange to converse with her so deeply on so many different topics, it felt like I was getting an insight into somebody who was usually very reserved.

"This is my house, ribbit."

Tsu spoke up as we were walking down another street, stopping in front of a fairly nondescript row of houses. In a way, I was upset our conversation had come to an end, even though I knew I would see Tsu again in a few days.

"By the way, Shinso." Tsu spoke up again, catching my attention before I walked away "There's something I want to ask you."

Now that was different, it seemed that Tsu would usually just ask a question as soon as she thought of it, so I wondered exactly what she wanted to know.

"Yeah?" I replied, trying not to let my own curiosity show.

"I didn't want to ask you this in front of Shoji and Tokoyami in case you wanted to keep it private, and don't think you have to tell me, but…" She paused for a moment, her face still totally impassive as I waited for the oncoming question "Are you Mr. Aizawa's secret son?"

I stopped for a moment, utterly wrong footed by what Tsu had just asked me. It was so unexpected and bluntly delivered, I almost burst out laughing at the sheer hilarity of the question, only stopping myself to avoid offending my classmate. A moment's more contemplation gave me pause for thought as I ran through mine and Aizawa's characteristics: the tired eyes, scruffy hair, capturing weapon, calm but tired demeanour… oh.

In retrospect, I could see how Tsu had come to that conclusion, I was almost surprised nobody else had asked.

Still, Tsu had only seen me fight once, and as far as I knew I was the only one who had seen Aizawa in action. The similarities were there, but Tsu must have been extraordinarily perceptive to pick up on them, especially after only having known either of us for a few weeks.

Oh god, I hadn't even answered her yet. She probably thinks that I am his son and trying to hide it! Damn it Shinso! Say something before this gets even weirder!

"No, we're not related at all." I chuckled, hoping to mask my own embarrassment "What gave you that idea?"

"Oh, you know, just your eyes, hair, personality, even that weird bandage thing you both carry around." Tsu counted off each of her observations on her fingers, leaving me stunned at how much she had noticed.

"You're a very perceptive person, aren't you?" I said, cutting her off from any other observations that she might bring up. "But…"

I paused again, wondering what exactly I should tell Tsu about myself and Aizawa. My first instinct was to deny everything and get out of this conversation as quickly as possible, that would keep my training a secret, as originally planned. As I considered this course of action, I remembered what Tsu had talked about back at the restaurant, how she had largely grown up without friends and that she was happy to see how nice people at UA were. She had trusted the three of us closely enough to tell us something about her own private life, something that she had apparently not mentioned to the girls of 1A, who were all quite close.

Didn't she deserve the same trust in return?

"I wasn't planning on telling anybody about this." I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck with anxiety "And I'll ask you not to tell anybody about this either."

"Ribbit." Tsu nodded.

I paused for a second, unsure of whether or not to proceed. Though there was no real risk of my training by Aizawa coming to light, I had still hoped to keep it to myself, not wanting my classmates to think I was being favoured. On the other hand, I knew that Tsu was trustworthy, and she didn't seem like the type to gossip about other's secrets, and I didn't want to weaken our friendship by making her think I was keeping secrets.

"I guess it all started at the entrance exam for UA." I said, not exactly sure how to tell my story "Aizawa pulled me out of the practical exam, he and I both knew I'd never stand a chance against the robots they used, I was sure to fail."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Tsu cut in, her flat voice containing a touch of sympathy "That can't have been easy to hear."

"It wasn't, but it was the truth. Aizawa told me that I could have another chance of entering the Hero Course, but he would have to put me through hell to do so. I agreed, who wouldn't?" I saw Tsu nod in agreement "For the next three months, Aizawa put me through training, it was hell, but I improved quickly, the guy's a good teacher to be sure. By the end he had taught me how to fight, as well as using the Capture Weapon. My 'final exam' was to fight against him…"

"You fought against a Pro Hero?" Tsu asked, sounding incredulous "How did you win?"

"I didn't. He kicked my ass." I chuckled, though it wasn't nearly as funny in the moment "But apparently I wasn't meant to win, and the few hits I got in were enough. He put me into the Hero Course, and here I am."

I shrugged at the end of the story, hoping that I didn't come off as too cocky or conceited. Tsu's perpetual blank expression made her difficult to read, and I could only hope that she actually believed me, no matter how bizarre the story was.

"That…" Tsu paused, placing her finger on her mouth in contemplation "Actually sounds like something Mr. Aizawa would do, I'm guessing he didn't go easy on you."

"That's… an understatement." I said, my mind flashing back to all of the combat training I had endured from my endlessly stern teacher "But that's why I don't want everyone in 1A to know about this, at least not yet. I don't want people to think that Mr. Aizawa is playing favourites or going easy on me, it would undermine him as a teacher."

"Ok." Tsu looked straight back at me again "Don't worry Shinso, I won't mention this to anybody."

"Thanks Tsu." I bowed in gratitude "I'm still impressed you made the connection so easily."

"Ribbit, I've always been good at noticing things like that." Tsu glanced back towards her house "It's been nice today Shinso, I'll see you later."

With that typically blunt farewell, Tsu walked back into her house, though she did turn to wave at me, which I returned somewhat awkwardly. I was then left alone on the streets of Tokyo, only a few blocks away from my own house.

Tsu's impressive observations had surprised me, though I was lucky that she was happy to keep what I had told her between the two of us. I didn't intend to keep Aizawa's training a secret forever, and I'm sure the rest of my class would figure it out eventually, but I didn't want everybody to know just yet. I knew that I would probably tell Shoji and Tokoyami at some point in the near future, but that time would have to wait for now.

As I walked home, I pondered the bonds between my three classmates that had been made today. I had only met Shoji by a chance encounter on a bus, and I only came to know the other two due to being paired up at the Battle Trials. It seemed strange to me that I had come to know the three of them so well after such a circumstantial meeting, but we had all gotten along so well, despite the fact that we didn't know each other that well. I had never really had close friends before, and I had entered UA with the attitude that I would avoid making friends, as they would only slow my progress down.

But after today, building bridges didn't seem so bad.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Another 'filler' sort of chapter today, but one that I highly enjoyed writing, and I hope that you enjoyed reading it. This chapter probably contains the most characterisation for Shinso so far, and I tried my best to fill the chapter with references to both his past and his current mindset. From what we've seen of Shinso's backstory in canon, it makes sense to me that he would have had a kind of lonely childhood, and I tried to reflect that in his and his mother's reaction to his new friend group._

_This is definitely a far more laid-back chapter than most, containing more dialogue and humour than usual, and while it was a challenge it was also enjoyably different from my usual chapter structure, and I enjoyed coming up with the interactions between the four young heroes in this chapter. There was also a moment of unexpected emotion in the middle of this chapter, something that I hadn't really planned until I realised that the backgrounds of all four characters present either stated or at least implied that they had grown up without much in the way of friends or interaction. I wasn't expecting this chapter to get emotional, but I think it works, and it's nice character development for the four of them._

_I'm now certain of Shinso, Shoji, Tokoyami and Asui as the four 'lead' characters of this story for now, as I said in an earlier chapter, their chemistry works well for me, and they're some of my favourite characters in the anime/manga. This fic will still be centred entirely on Shinso, but expect the other three to be more prevalent than most of 1A. I'll do my best to give other members of UA their fair share of screen time, but this story will focus on Shinso primarily, with Tokoyami, Shoji and Asui being the next most prevalent, as well as the constant presence of Aizawa._

_As much as I've enjoyed these few chapters of characterisation, I'm aching to write some action again, and it's a good thing too, as the time has finally come for the USJ incident to take place. It's likely to be the biggest multi-part chapter I've written so far, and I'm very excited to see how it will pan out. Shinso was on the back foot for most of the Battle Trials, and he was heavily outmatched against Aizawa, so this will be the first time he really gets to cut loose and show off everything he has learned._

_Are you excited? I sure am._

_Anyway, there's a few reviews from yesterday's chapter to answer:_

_NoMeImporta32: Thank you for the kind words, I'm glad to hear that more 'filler' chapters aren't being too much of a drag. I agree with you on the point of characterisation being important, and I hope that today's chapter provided that as well._

_DragonStorm88: You're right, I'm still undecided on a hero name, it's proving to be annoyingly difficult to come up with a perfect name for Shinso. Thank you for all of your suggestions, they're very helpful, and I'll keep them in mind._

_I'll see you tomorrow. USJ awaits…_


	13. Chapter 13- The USJ Incident: Part 1

Chapter 13: The USJ Incident- Part 1

* * *

As usual, the weekend faded away far too quickly, leaving me with the grim reality of a Monday morning to deal with. Despite this fact, I was still in a good mood from the weekend meeting, and I had managed to get all of my weekend work done, leaving me in a rare state of actually having some free time on Sunday. I used the time for physical training, knowing that I would only use the time to sleep otherwise.

The class slowly settled in for homeroom, and Aizawa appeared exactly as the clock hit 9AM, showing a rare level of punctuality, Though he looked as bored and tired as ever.

"Get ready for another day of intense training." He murmured, gaining the classes' attention with a sense of impending dread "Today you will be undergoing another special training event, one that will push you to your limits."

"What kind of training is it Sir?" Hagakure spoke up, her invisible arms apparently flailing in the air by the motion of her sleeves. I was used to seeing all sorts of mutation-type Quirks, but Hagakure's invisibility still threw me off "Are we doing battle training again?"

"No, today you're going to be doing something different." Aizawa reached under his podium and held up a white plastic card with the word 'Rescue' emblazoned upon it "Rescue training involves using your Quirks to assist people in the aftermath of villain attacks and natural disasters."

After explaining the basic concepts of rescue training were explained to the class, Aizawa activated the wall that released our costumes, telling us to change into them and meet him outside of the main UA building. Apparently the facility that we were training at was a good distance from UA's main campus, so we would be taking a bus to the facility. All of the class seemed excited to don their costumes again, likely associating them with the adrenaline rush that was the Battle Trials. I grabbed the suitcase numbered '10' and headed towards the changing rooms, already thinking about what would await me during today's training. A low level of chatter broke out amongst the students of out class, as they discussed exactly what might await us during today's training. Shoji and I were deep in discussion the entire way to the changing rooms, already thinking of different types of rescue training that we might come up against, and how best to deal with them.

In the changing rooms, I opened the case to my costume, excited to once again don the outfit that exemplified my style as a hero in training. I realised that my expended flashbangs and smoke bombs had been replaced, and the costume had clearly been cleaned and re-folded, another reminder of UA's attention to detail and vast funding.

As I slowly removed my school uniform and donned the black undersuit of my costume, I realised that Midoriya was beside me, glancing at a UA sports uniform with a note taped to it.

"Costume trouble?" I asked, clearly confused as I had seen him wearing a completely different outfit during All Might's battle trials.

"My jumpsuit was almost destroyed during my fight with Kacchan, it looks like this is a temporary replacement." Midoriya turned to look at me, until something in my case caught his eye "What's with the mask? I saw you using it during your fight but I'm not sure what it really does."

"They're Artificial Vocal Chords." I replied, slowly wrapping my capture tools around my arms "It lets me imitate other people's voices so I can use my Quirk."

"Really?" Midoriya tilted his head, looking like he was deep in thought "So does you're your Quirk rely on voice or-"

"Midoriya! Shinso!" Iida called out from across the room, armoured up to his waist "Please don't waste any more time conversing, we don't have time to waste!"

I grumbled under my breath at Iida's aggressive intervention, but he was ultimately right, whatever training awaited us today was surely going to be long and gruelling, and I didn't have time to talk to Midoriya about my Quirk. That said, I was somewhat happy for Iida's intervention, Midoriya had already proved himself to be frighteningly adept at analysing people's Quirks and developing impressive counters to them, and I didn't like the prospect of him figuring out my weaknesses and limitations so easily.

As I tightened the straps of my armoured jumpsuit, I looked over the rest of my support equipment with scepticism. Today we would be undergoing rescue training, a type of training that mainly consisted of saving people, would all of my equipment really be needed for this exercise. Would flashbangs really be useful when rescuing people? Caltrops? Even the Artificial Vocal Chords? In my mind, they would most likely be dead weight, something that would just get in my way and slow me down. I knew that it would be sensible to leave them behind, I would be far more agile without the additional weight.

But something in the back of my mind stopped me from doing so, Aizawa had always told me that it was important for a hero to be prepared for any eventuality, and that advice certainly applied here. I sighed and strapped the rest of my equipment to my costume, feeling the reassuring weight of the Chords strapped around my neck. Being prepared was sensible, and I wouldn't put it past Aizawa or UA to throw a last minute curveball at us.

Hell, I wouldn't put it past Aizawa to do something like recruiting a group of heroes or older students to challenge us in the guise of fighting against villains. Though it seemed ridiculous, and I told myself it was something that even Aizawa wouldn't do, I felt that it was better to be prepared. Actually, it was certainly something that Aizawa would do, I could almost hear the inevitable lecture about 'logic' and 'preparedness' that he would give us after whatever gruelling exercise he put us through.

Once we had boarded the bus, a conversation had broken out between Midoriya and several other members of our class about the strange nature of his Quirk. Midoriya seemed to be fairly flustered about this level of attention on him, but the few answers he gave about the nature of his Quirk were mostly uninformative and evasive, giving precious little information away. His evasive answering was interesting, it put me in mind of how he had seemed to call his Quirk something else before saying 'Superpower' during the Class President election, as well as the face that he seemed to be largely uncomfortable about discussion around his Quirk. Then again, I could hardly judge another member of my class for being evasive and uncomfortable about their Quirk, but his behaviour was still interesting.

Mentally shrugging my shoulders, I leant back into my chair and closed my eyes, letting the ongoing conversations about Quirks wash over me. I did my best to block out Iida's voice as he lectured our class about how inappropriate it was to interrogate Midoriya about his Quirk. Sleep was impossible with this level of chatter, much to my chagrin, but I could at least rest for a bit.

After all, I would certainly need it for whatever awaited us.

* * *

When we arrived at the facility, we were reminded once again of the ridiculous levels of resources that UA had at its disposal, the facility was the size of a sport's stadium, and it seemed to be almost brand new. It was the kind of building that most schools would kill to even visit, yet to UA it was simply one of many facilities that it could make regular use of.

When we made our way into the building, we were greeted by the sight of the Space Hero, Thirteen, who gestured towards Aizawa to talk to him. It seemed that the subject of their conversation was All Might, as he was notably absent from the class he was supposedly teaching.

"That man is the height of irrationality." Aizawa sighed, the seemingly mild comment was about the most insulting thing I had heard Aizawa say about anybody, harsh criticism coming from somebody who valued rational action above all else.

"Anyway, Students, there are a few things I'd like to say before we begin." Thirteen raised her hand to grab our attention, distracted as we were by how vast our surroundings were "As you might know, my Quirk is called Black Hole, it lets me pull in and destroy anything I direct it towards."

"That's right!" Midoriya called out, his voice full of excitement and wonder "You've used it to save countless people from hundreds of disasters!"

"Indeed, but it is also a power that could easily be used to kill." Thirteen's voice took on a grave tone, indicating the serious subject she was talking about "Many of you have Quirks that could be used to kill or seriously injure people, and you need to be aware of your destructive potential."

I hadn't thought of it in a while, but Thirteen was completely right, Brainwashing could easily be used to get somebody to jump to their death, or any other way of killing somebody. It was a stark reminder of the power of Quirks, and how they were capable of both good and evil deeds. Hell, that was one of many reasons that people thought about me the way they did, most Quirks could be dodged or defended against, but with Brainwashing I could defeat someone with only a few words, and that inevitability and loss of control must have terrified a lot of people.

"I know that Aizawa and All Might have taught you how to use your Quirks for purposes of enhancement and battle, but I hope to teach you another way to utilise your Quirks, how to use them to save lives!" Thirteen spread her arms wide, gesturing openly to the enormous arena behind her "I built this facility to help young heroes practise their Quirks in disastrous scenarios, I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint!"

Like Universal Studios Japan… weird.

As my classmates began to chatter amongst themselves, and Thirteen and Aizawa covertly began to discuss something, I paced my way over to the edge of the raised platform that we all stood upon, trying to get a better view of the obstacles that we would be facing today.

Looking around the site, it was clearly one of UA's more impressive ventures, with a grand plaza in the centre that split of into six distinct zones. Two of the areas were covered by enormous domes, making their interior impossible to identify. The other four all seemed to simulate a disaster area of some kind, ranging from a mountainous bluff to a cliff covered in collapsed buildings. There was even a zone filled entirely with water, something that I was sure Tsu would be happy with. The USJ was certainly impressive, and I was excited to see exactly what training we would be undergoing today.

My Quirk wasn't really suited for use in rescue training, as it was only really convenient for incapacitating villains and other enemies. I assumed that my own training today would largely focus on learning the basic skills of disaster management and rescue, and I would certainly be able to pick up a few good tricks, even if my Quirk didn't help me in this exact scenario. I realised that this was more like a different type of physical training for me, even without my Quirk I could still carry injured civilians and move debris, and I would still be able to traverse dangerous environments with the lessons Aizawa had given me.

It seemed that one of the areas was water-based, a detail that I was sure that Tsu would be happy to see, as her Quirk put her at a big advantage in aquatic environments. Conversely, I would be sure to warn Tokoyami of the area that seemed to be filled with fire, judging by the flame patterns printed on the dome that contained the area. The USJ was already brightly lit, and the addition of fire could weaken Tokoyami's power further, putting him at a bug disadvantage. I couldn't see or think of anything that would help or hinder Shoji, as he seemed to be pretty well suited to any environment. I could see that one of the areas was full of collapsed buildings and debris, which Shoji could certainly use his strength and many arms to move with great efficiency.

Any future observation was cut short by a strange phenomenon in the central plaza, it started as a spot of inky darkness, hovering a few feet above the ground in the centre of the USJ. After a few seconds, the spot began to expand, widening in size and depth until it resembled a yawning chasm of black. I watched with curiosity as the shadow hovered in the centre of USJ, its presence causing me to momentarily forget myself in confusion. The shape was almost pitch-black, though its edges were a deep purple, these purple edges shifted and contorted in bizarre and swirling patterns, lending the shape a bizarre and twisted appearance.

From the darkness, shapes began to emerge, eventually coalescing into human forms, dozens of figures walked out of the portal, spreading themselves wide into a loose formation. The figures were as wide and varied as any other group of people, though I noticed that many of them seemed to be quite physically large and stocky, a sign of physical strength. Eventually, two notable figures emerged at the very back of the crowd, each one distinct in their own way. The first was enormous, even from this distance I could see that it stood about a dozen feet tall, and it's hulking form made it stand out even more. The second figure was smaller, and thin, but it was distinct in how it carried itself, walking with a confidence and purpose that sent a strange feeling of fear down my spine. Eventually the darkness shrunk again, turning itself into a vaguely human-sized cloud that hovered beside the other two figures. The entire crowd stood in almost perfect stillness, and I couldn't shake the feeling of dozens of pairs of eyes upon me.

I knew something was wrong, there was no way that these people were employees of UA or volunteers, a primal instinct in the back of my mind screamed at me to do something, anything. I had to alert Aizawa, it was the best course of action right now.

"Hey!" I tried to shout, but my voice seemed to desert me, with only a squeak passing my lips.

"Mr. Aizawa!" I managed to form coherent words this time, but I could still only whisper, and nobody heard me.

I looked at the crowd of my classmates, chatting and stretching with excited expressions on their face, I knew that we were in danger, why couldn't I just say something!

"HEY! SHOTA!" I finally managed to scream, all of my frustration and anger at my own inability to act bubbling to the surface, resulting in a shout that finally caught everybody's attention.

My entire class turned towards me as one, excited expressions slowly turning to confusion and concern as they saw me. I must have been as pale as a corpse, and several of my classmates seemed confused over my sudden outburst. At the sight of their confusion, I tried my best to steady my nerves and at least try and appear calm, though I knew that that would likely be a wasted effort. Aizawa turned to face me, an expression of annoyance at being interrupted turning to immediate concern when he saw my face and shaking form.

"We have a problem." I said, my voice lowering again. I pointed a shaking finger to the plaza behind me.

Aizawa calmly walked over to me, and stared at the scenario unfolding below him for several seconds of utter silence. Eventually, he turned towards the crowd again, pulling his golden goggles over his eyes as he spoke up.

"Everybody, it seems we are under attack from villains, remain calm and stick together." Aizawa's voice was far more serious than normal, and his words caused every student in the building to pale in fear and surprise "Thirteen, look after the students. Kaminari, they must be using an electrical Quirk to block our alarms, try and counteract it. I'll deal with these intruders myself."

"But Sir!" I protested, still standing by Aizawa at the edge of the platform "There are dozens of them, you can't fight them all by yourself! You told me yourself you're best at ambushes and one-on-one fights!"

"No good hero is a one trick pony." Aizawa smirked slightly before turning to face the crowd of villains "Protect your classmates Shinso, I'm counting on you."

With that last statement, Aizawa leapt down the stair in a single motion, and engaged with the horde of villains below.

* * *

Aizawa wasn't holding anything back, his first leap into the villains had taken them all by surprise, and he capitalised on that shock by launching his first barrage of attacks. Quirks were erased and villains were taken out in swathes, Aizawa moved with staggering agility, and his opponents simply couldn't keep up. The crowd of villains were constantly trying to surround or encircle him, but he simply leapt around or over them to continue the fight from a different angle. This display of evasion and agility meant that the villains were unable to pin Aizawa down in a straight brawl, meaning that they were unable to bring their numbers to bear against the agile Pro.

The fight, and Aizawa's display of skill were the epitome of everything he had taught me over the past months, the techniques that I had barely started to learn were displayed with utter mastery, and it allowed Aizawa to keep the villains at bay. I was worried to see Aizawa jump into such a massive group of villains alone, but the way he dealt with them almost put my concerns to rest, he simply moved _through _them, as if they weren't even obstacles to him.

It was an amazing sight to behold, and a reminder that I still had a long way to go before I would be able to compete with Aizawa properly.

"And you said you weren't holding back against me." I muttered, watching the fight with a mixture of amazement and concern, a sly grin made its way onto my face, despite the circumstances one thought echoed in my head "We're gonna have a rematch one day."

It was almost mesmerising to watch, Aizawa had become the Pro Hero Eraserhead as soon as he had donned those golden goggles of his, and the shift in personality translated onto the battlefield with devastating effects. Strangely, the three villains who I had assumed to be the leaders of the group were hanging back, simply watching as Aizawa tore through their ranks with practised ease. From my distant viewpoint, I could see that Aizawa's hair kept rising and falling to indicate usage of his Quirk, though I couldn't determine which Quirks he was blocking.

My observations were cut short by the discussions coming from Thirteen and Kaminari, who was apparently trying and failing to get a radio signal, even with the assistance of his Quirk. Thirteen said that this likely meant that one of the villains was blocking the transmissions from the USJ, and the rest of UA was likely unaware of our situation. As soon as I turned my attention back towards the battle, I saw that Aizawa's Quirk had just de-activated again, but this time one of the lead villain's took advantage of this fact, vanishing in an instant.

The villain in question was the one that had seemingly warped all of the villains here, with a body made out of some kind of black smoke. He had seemingly collapsed into a single point and vanished as soon as Aizawa's Quirk had deactivated, leading me to believe that Aizawa had been purposely holding him in place. This was bad, I turned to warn everybody of what I had just seen, then froze.

He was right behind us, looming over the group like a cloud of death.

"Greetings, it is a pleasure to see the young heroes of tomorrow with my own eyes." The void whispered, his voice evoking the darkness and depth of his body.

"What are you doing here?" Thirteen called out, imposing herself between the villain and the rest of our class.

"We are here to put an end to this age of peace, to throw the world back to the way it should be." The villain's voice carried through the crowd effortlessly, sending a chill down my spine "We are here to kill All Might, and wipe out you future heroes."

I had known that these villains were a serious threat as soon as they had entered the USJ, but hearing their goal outlined so bluntly drove this face home in my mind. To hear that they meant to kill us all was one thing, it was almost expected from their entrance into UA. But to kill All Might?

It would be laughable if it wasn't so terrifying.

It seemed like a goal that could only come from somebody truly insane, All Might was the world's symbol of peace, a figure so vastly strong and all-encompassing that he seemed almost god-like at time. To even think of taking him down or beating him was patently absurd, the best that most villains could hope for was to evade his watchful gaze.

Yet here these villains were, attacking the most prestigious hero school in Japan and announcing that they planned to kill All Might, all in a completely serious tone, without a hint of madness. These villains were clearly strong and well-organised, and something told me that they wouldn't have undertaken this mission if they didn't think they were capable of completing it.

That was the most terrifying thought of all, and to even entertain such a possibility made my skin crawl.

While I was pondering the villain's words, Thirteen had engaged the misty villain, her Black Hole Quirk drawing in the villain with irresistible force. For a moment, it seemed that Thirteen would keep the villain contained, but everything fell apart in an instant.

Bakugo and Kirishima had charged ahead, intent on engaging and dispatching the villain in our midst. It was an impressive display, and one that certainly seemed to catch the villain off guard, but they either hadn't noticed or hadn't considered Thirteen's actions. As soon as the space hero saw the two students, she deactivated her Quirk, freeing the villain from her crushing grip. Before either of the students could land a strike on the villain, his body expanded outwards in an explosion of darkness.

**_There is nothing you can do, you will be scattered and slaughtered in moments. It would be easier not to resist, there's no point in causing pointless struggle._**

The villain's voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once, and I quickly realised that he had surrounded the entire group, his dark presence cutting off the few sources of light that we could still see.

**_The age of peace is dead, and you will all die alongside it. This is the age of fear, and your sacrifice will bring it into existence._**

I tried the only thing I could think of, activating my Quirk and shouting out into the shadows.

"Why are you doing this? Do you really think you can kill All Might?" I did my best to goad the villains into responding, relying on him having an ego typical of villains.

There was no reply, only a suffocating blanket of darkness settling upon me, blocking off the last of the light and leaving me totally blind. I instinctively raised my arms in defence and shut my eyes, doing my best to shield myself from the rushing wind that tore through my hair. It felt like a I was standing in a wind tunnel, and the feeling of disorientation made me realise that the villain was transporting me and likely the rest of my class, though I didn't want to think about where I would end up.

There was one last rush of wind, then everything went black.

* * *

My disorientation ended as quickly as it had begun, the feeling of onrushing wind slowing down and finally dying. With some apprehension, I opened my eyes, still feeling a little dizzy from the sudden and unexpected transportation. The sight that greeted me was both worrying and comforting, I was in the Collapse Zone of the USJ, an area that resembled a collapsed city block destroyed by a landslide. Though I was glad that I was still within the USJ, my other observations were cause for much more concern. I was alone, none of my other classmates had been warped here with me, the sudden sense of isolation was worrying, but it wasn't the worst thing that I had noticed. Shadows were lingering amongst the collapsed buildings that surrounded me, watching like silent overseers in the shape of people.

Once the shadows had noticed my presence, they began to shift and twist, emerging from the alleyways and caverns that they lurked in. Once they were in the light, they were no longer the shadows that my panicked mind had envisioned them as, but something far more real, though no less concerning.

_Villains_

It felt strange to apply such a label to people right in front of me, whenever somebody mentions 'Villains' my mind would always conjure images of imposing and dark figures, the very embodiment of evil. These people weren't as cliché my childish interpretation of villainy, but they were just as menacing. There were at least two dozen of them, with appearances and Quirks in a broad spectrum, far too many to name or assess. The only universal trait amongst the villains that surrounded me was one thing:

They were all smiling.

"So, the boss only sent us one kid?"

"Look at him, he'll barely last a second against any of us."

"What's with this runt? He looks like he could barely throw a punch."

"Lets get this over with, we might be able to get a better fight if we rush to one of the other zones."

Their comments and slow advancement towards me put me in mind of a recent lecture on pack hunters, and how they would use their numbers to overwhelm and kill their prey. Videos of a pack of wolves tearing apart a deer forced their way into my head, and the comparison to my current situation was inevitable.

No, I couldn't let my fear get the best of me.

These people were villains, scum and criminals that had broken into a school with the intention of killing All Might and slaughtering a bunch of children, all for some kind of headline or societal statement. They had no right to be here, to threaten and harm my classmates and teachers!

_Scum._

_Villains._

_How Dare They!_

Be calm Shinso, remember your training.

My anger passed, replaced by a profound sense of calm and focus. Emotion would have to wait, I had a job to do. My classmates and friends were likely in a similar situation to me, and I couldn't bear to leave them to their fate. I would help them, as soon as I dealt with my own group of enemies.

My mind fell into a familiar pattern, analysis, prediction and action. There were 23 villains that I could see, though the possibility of others lurking around couldn't be discounted. The vast majority of them seemed to possess Emitter or Mutant type Quirks, though some of the more plain-looking villains could possess Transformation type Quirks. Of the group, 3 members in particular stood out, carrying themselves with a bit more confidence and superiority than their peers. My best guess was that these three were the leaders, and they would thus be treated as priority targets.

Every villain that I was facing down against was supremely confident, bearing a grin in the rare instances where they weren't outright proclaiming their superiority or strength. Overconfidence was a weakness I would exploit, it would make them sloppy and predictable.

With a breath of focus, I reached for the Artificial Vocal Chords hanging around my neck, and strapped the support item to my face. The feeling of cold steel helped me zone in and focus, and I tightened the capture tools around my arms to reinforce this sense of focus. My mind went back to my earlier dilemma in the changing rooms, where I had considered leaving my combat equipment behind. I cursed my foolishness, and was thankful that I had made the right decision, I should have known to always be prepared, my current scenario made that abundantly clear.

I began to plan my first moves, I knew that the villains would all come to me, but that they wouldn't all attack at once, as they'd do more damage to each other. I mentally assessed the most impatient and aggressive looking villains, scrying every aspect of their appearance for any characteristics or weaknesses that I could exploit. Satisfied with my analysis, I dropped into a familiar fighting stance, one that had been drilled into me for months on end. The villains seemed surprised that I was trying to fight back, but they responded in kind by readying themselves. I couldn't help but be intimidated by the sight of dozens of villains readying themselves to attack me, but I steeled my nerves, and readied myself for the inevitable attack.

"So." I said, using the Chords to manipulate the sound of my voice so that it carried through the crown of villains "Who's first?"

* * *

_Author's Note_

_And so the USJ incident begins, with the invasion of the villains and Aizawa's counterattack against the League of Villains. It's fun to write action and fighting scenes, and Aizawa's fight is the first of many in the USJ arc. Shinso's got into a bad situation this time, and we'll get to see how he deals with an army of villains tomorrow._

_As an aside, I'd like to ask anybody who reads this fic a favour, as I've been a little stuck on this issue for a while. I'd like to give this story a cover photo, but my own artistic skills are basically non-existent, and I don't want to just use a stock photo of Shinso for the cover. I've done some research into MHA artists that take commissions, but haven't had any luck so far. If anybody could recommend an artist that would be able to take on a My Hero Academia commission, it would be greatly appreciated._

_Anyway, there were lots of reviews for the last chapter, so let's get into them:_

_Evergone the Great: I hope that the filler isn't too distracting, I'm mainly trying to use it for pacing and characterisation. I agree with your opinion on chapter length, every chapter in this story is 5000 words long, which I think is a sensible length. Thanks for more suggestions on hero names, I'll keep them in mind._

_Raven Mordrake: As far as I'm aware, the wiki only lists places of birth. I assumed that most of the characters lived fairly near UA, as several of them are seen walking to UA in various chapters. Aichi is more than 4 hours drive away from Tokyo, so I'm assuming that Asui has moved closer to Tokyo. Thanks for the reminder to double check this stuff, it's a little too easy to forget these things._

_Alexanderjuarez499: This was something I've considered, but I don't think UA would want one of their students carrying a knife around, even given the state of MHA's society. Maybe he'll pick it up once he gets his provisional license, I'm trying to keep it relatively realistic._

_DragonStorm88: Damn, those are all really good names for this group, while I like ShinSquad, I think Team Tired might be the funniest name. None of the other characters are really known for being tired, but Shinso probably has enough exhaustion to spread around. Resting Bitch Face Foursome is also pretty funny._

_Vilma Arnez: Of course, Shinso's training has already shown him to be fairly agile, and I have mentioned Aizawa giving him lessons in traversing Urban environments. This particular set of skills will likely show up during the internship arc, but I won't spoil that yet._

_OnlineOverlord15: I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the interactions from last chapter, they're certainly something that I'll be focusing more on in the future. Thank you for more hero name suggestions, I'll add them to the list I've got going._

_Donovan77: I agree with you about Yanagi, she's an interesting character and I can tell you that she'll be showing up at some point. I have something big planned for the Forest Training Arc, and it will involve Yanagi, so keep your eyes open._

_Thank you all for reading, the USJ incident will continue tomorrow, with a double-chapter release. There's gonna be tonnes of fighting, I'm not really sure where to begin…_


	14. Chapter 14- The USJ Incident: Part 2

Chapter 14: The USJ Incident- Part 2

* * *

As soon as the words left my lips, the first villains leapt into action, charging towards me in a murderous frenzy. His hands appeared to be composed of some kind of crystalline substance, and he wielded them as heavy bludgeoning fists. As soon as the first punch was thrown, I snared his arm with my capture tool, pulling his fist towards me. The fists must have weighed a lot, as my opponent was pulled off-balance by the sudden momentum I had caused, sending him spiralling towards the ground. He instinctively raised his other hand in front of his face in defence, just the reaction I was counting on. As soon as his arm was raised, I turned on one heel and unleashed a smashing kick into the villains' hand, letting my steel boots absorb the impact of his hardened limbs. The same could not be said for the villains' head, which was struck full-force by his own limb being slammed into his face. There was a spray of blood as his nose cracked, and he was knocked unconscious by the force of the blow upon his head.

All in all, the whole exchange had only taken a few seconds, and the villain was left with a shattered nose and a probable concussion. With flourish, I pulled the capture tool from his arm and spun it back around my own in a single motion, ready to be used again.

The villains didn't seem to be discouraged by their comrade's swift takedown, and three more charged in to attack me, each one's hand's sparking with an Emitter type Quirk. The first lunged forwards, hand outstretched and crackling with blue lightning. I grabbed the arm with my hands just below the elbow to avoid his Quirk, he was too close to use my capture tool on, and spun around, using the attacker's momentum against him to throw him over my shoulder. As he crashed into the ground, I readied myself to knock him out, when the second assailant reached for me, her hand engulfed in purple flame. Unable to grapple, I instead stepped around her and swept my leg underneath her own feet, causing her to fall to the ground in a crumpled heap, though still conscious. The third villain placed both of his hands together, a flash of light emanating from his palms as he flashed a wild grin. Realising what was about to happen, I leapt to the side just as the villain's attack flew from his hands, a blinding flash accompanying the activation of his Quirk. The ball of light flew past me as I rolled out of the way, moving past the crowd of villains and smashing into one of the abandoned buildings with a final flash before dissipating completely.

It was one of the stronger Quirks I had seen so far, and I knew that the villain had to be dispatched before he could launch another one of those balls of light. I stayed low, not standing up fully from my earlier roll, quickly moving towards the villain while staying ducked down and ready to move. Another flicker of light began to form from the villain's palms, and he grinned again as the attack charged up. As soon as I saw the light I put my plan into action, launching my capture tool from my left arm to wrap around his wrists, binding them tightly together in an inescapable trap.

"You moron!" The villain cried out, the light from his Quirk illuminating his manic grin. "Putting my hands together activates my Quirk, and it won't stop once I've started to charge it."

"Just what I'm counting on." I muttered to myself, a slight grin forming under my mask at how much these villains were willing to tell me.

I reached the villain before his Quirk was ready to fire, ducking under his bound arms as he attempted to aim his arms at me. My fist lashed out, slamming right under his sternum, causing him to cry out in pain and surprise. Satisfied that the villain was sufficiently stunned, I grabbed his arms and aimed them towards the female villain who I had tripped over moments earlier, and was now only just getting to her feet. Shouts of surprise from her 'comrades' came too slowly, and she turned around just in time to see the ball of light fly straight towards her. The projectile struck her right in the chest, sending her flying backwards a dozen feet before crashing into a collapsed building in a flash of light, the impact leaving her knocked cold. The villain with the light Quirk was still stunned from my earlier strike, and an elbow to the skull put him out of commission, with me recovering my capture tool as he fell to the ground.

The first villain, the one with the blue lightning Quirk, had only just pulled himself to his feet, the shouts and jeers of his fellow villains spurring him to action. I didn't care to give him a second chance, instead launching my capture tool towards him, where it wrapped itself tightly around his waist. I leapt into the air and gave the strongest pull I could on the part of my capture tool that was still wrapped around my arm, pulling me towards the villain at impressive speed. I extended my leg, manipulating my flight path using the capture tool to ensure that my kick would land exactly where I wanted it to. The plan worked, and the villain turned towards me at precisely the right moment for my boot to strike his jaw, causing a few loose teeth to fly from his mouth and sending another unconscious villain to the ground.

It had only been around a minute since the fight had begun, and four of the villains that attacked me were already out of the picture.

Taking a breath, I double checked each of my four opponents so far to make sure that they were down for the count, once I was satisfied that they weren't going to cause any more trouble, I turned my attention towards the remaining villains, still standing in a group around me. Though most of them still wore manic, feral grins, there was something else in their expressions now, something that I had been trained to detect and amplify to the best of my abilities. Uncertainty. It was a faint emotion, but one visible in the eyes of almost every villain present, the certainty of an easy victory was now slightly more uncertain to them, and it was up to me to hammer that feeling home.

I didn't wait for another attacker this time, instead selecting my next opponent on purely psychological grounds. The target I had selected was one of the most steadfast-looking villains of the group, his expression totally devoid of any kind of uncertainty or fear, only pure hate and confidence could be seen on his face. This opponent was exactly the kind of morale lynchpin I had been taught to target, as he would likely stabilise those around him if they had second thoughts about fighting or considered fleeing. Better yet, one of the villains beside him looked to be one of the most nervous of the group, his eyes occasionally flickering side to side with an expression of shock and nervousness.

After locking eyes with my target, I leapt towards him, launching my capture weapons forwards and snaring his arms in my grasp. As I flew towards my target, I realised that he had grown somewhat, and that he must have possessed a Quirk that allowed him to bulk up his muscle mass, making him far stronger than a normal human. He pulled on the two capture weapons, intent on bringing me towards him and landing a hit on me, one that would surely put me out of commission. I had seen this coming, and had already freed myself of the capture tools, letting them fall to the ground as my opponent roared in frustration, tossing the cloth tools to the ground. My momentum carried me over his head, and I spun in the air so I would land properly behind my opponent. I knew that he would be hard to take down, but I had trained in exploiting the most vulnerable parts of the human body, in anticipation of a fight like this.

The villain spun around, fists raised to smash me to a pulp, and an expression of rage on his face. His strikes would surely hurt if they managed to hit me, but the additional muscle mass made him slow and clumsy, and I weaved my body between his punches with the dexterity and grace I had practised for weeks on end. As soon as an opening presented itself, I moved myself towards the ground as if I had stumbled backwards, which both lured my opponent forwards and put me in the perfect position to deliver a knockout blow. I kicked straight upwards, knowing that only my steel boots would have sufficient strength to take out my opponent, I stretched my leg upwards as far as I could manage, striking my opponent right under his chin. I could feel the bone-shaking impact of my blow shudder through my outstretched leg, but the recipient of my kick was knocked off of his feet and sent spiralling to the ground, eyes rolling backwards as he was knocked cold.

I mentally thanked Aizawa for giving me lessons in agility and manoeuvrability, I doubted I would have been able to kick that high even a month ago, yet the move had certainly saved my skin. I leapt forwards and grabbed my capture weapons, leaping back into the clearing I had occupied a moment earlier, using the breathing space to re-wrap my capture tools and ready myself for the next wave of attacks, knowing that my opponents wouldn't give me much reprieve.

My sudden takedown of one of the largest and fiercest members of the group had had the intended effect, with several of the less committed villains looking even more uncertain of their position than they were moments earlier. The villain that had already looked uncertain was now close to fleeing completely, and a glare from me seemed to make the decision for him.

"W-What the hell is this?" He stammered, taking a few steps back "It's just one kid! Shigaraki didn't tell us they'd be this strong!"

With that last statement, he turned one his heel and started to run away, only to be stopped by one of the other villains, who knocked him down with a clothesline, a brutal strike that he didn't get up from. The villain who had taken down his deserting fellow walked forwards, a sadistic grin plastered over his features. His arms seemed to be studded with rocky growths, giving him the appearance of somebody that had been pelted with dozens of sharp stones.

"So." I said, figuring that this lull in the fight was the best opportunity I would have to use my Quirk, so I activated it before asking the loaded question "Who's this Shigaraki guy your friend mentioned?"

"He's the one that put this entire plan into motion, the leader of the League of Villains." League of Villains… so that's what these guys called themselves. I didn't take control of my target's mind yet, content to have him give me more information "Not that it matters to you kid, you've got some moves, but you can't beat all of us on your own."

"You're right." I smiled then, activating my Quirk and feeling the familiar connection of Brainwashing in my mind "You're going to help me."

The controlled villain's features twitched slightly, likely a result of whatever inner dialogue he was having, though prior experience tended towards confusion or frustration on the part of the controlled. The crowd of villains looked to each other in confusion, unsure of the implication of my words, and unsure as to why their fellow attacker had suddenly frozen in place.

"Take down as many of them as you can." I said, my words echoing through the group of suddenly silent villains. "Don't kill them, just knock them out."

There was a moments silence as the Brainwashed villain processed the order, and the others watched with confusion and concern as their fellow villain stood perfectly still. With nothing as much as a roar or shout, the Brainwashed villain exploded in a sudden burst of action. He grasped the nearest villain by the head and threw them to the ground, sending pebbles and debris flying upwards with the impact.

With that first act, all hell broke loose, some villains charged their seemingly-feral comrade, while others remained frozen in confusion and even fear. The Brainwashed villain was far more lively than those under the influence of my Quirk usually were, and he moved through villain after villain, taking them out in fits and twitches of suppressed emotion. Whatever was influencing the villain to act in this way was one of many things that I still didn't understand about my Quirk, and I knew that I would have to work to gain better understanding of my power in the future.

Aizawa had emphasised many times how confusing and demoralising Brainwashing could be to groups of opponents, who would be shocked as their own comrades turned against them, attacking in jerky and confusing motions. He had taught me how to sow discord and confusion through groups of villains, equalising the odds when I was outnumbered by groups of foes. I knew that my Quirk was terrifying for many, and while I usually resented that fact, there were times when that fact became an enormous asset.

I knew I couldn't waste the opportunity that this sudden distraction had given me, and I leapt back into the fray, targeting the villains that had avoided their Brainwashed fellow's rampage. The first one didn't even notice my presence, so I threw my capture tool around his neck, pulling him towards me as I extended my leg. The momentum of my pull caused his head to crack into my steel boot, rendering him totally unconscious.

A villain that had noticed my renewed attack ran towards me, his four legs carrying him swiftly across the landscape. I reached into my back pocket and flicked several caltrops towards the ground, watching the tiny spiked devices activate and unfold, trapping the area between the pair of us. The four-legged villain noticed my trap, but the massive momentum created by his Quirk left him unable to stop in time, and he shrieked in pain as one of the tiny spike pierced one of his feet. As soon as I saw sure he was immobilised, I jumped towards him, striking him in the stomach with my knee, then in the temple with my elbow.

I carried on in this way for some time, momentum and adrenaline carrying me between fights and attacks, and it seemed that I wouldn't slow for some time. Aizawa had often mentioned entering a sort of trance during intense combat, where your body would move and attack almost independently, it was a difficult state to reach, but it made you a far more potent fighter. I understood what he meant for the first them then, though I experienced the state of mind more like a dance, with every punch, kick and jump leading gracefully and easily into another, and my targets seemed unable to resist my attacks.

Of course, I knew that close combat was brutal in nature, and my environment reflected that. Prone and unconscious villains were strewn about the place, my knuckles throbbed from delivering such repeated and furious strikes, and a small cut above my eye slowly trickled blood, a mark left by a villain that got a lucky hit in.

As I leapt away from another dispatched villain, I felt something loosely wrap around my ankle, the sudden sensation causing my leg to flinch away reflexively. When my leg refused to move, I looked down towards it, wary of losing my balance while mid-jump. My eyes widened as I saw that a loop of rope had been wrapped around my leg, and before I could react it was pulled back towards the ground, bringing me down with it.

I hit the ground hard, and when I opened my eyes I saw the forms of two villains standing over me. One of them had the piece of rope emanating from his palm, while the other possessed skin made out of something that resembled volcanic rock. The pair jeered at me, before the rocky villain spoke up.

"You've got some impressive moves kid, but you're no real hero." He laughed with his fellow before looking back down at me, his facing turning stern "Now you're gonna tell us how to release our friend from that Quirk of yours or we're gonna break every bone in your body!"

"Alright." I swallowed, playing up the persona of someone who had bitten of more than they could chew. I activated my Quirk, unsure if the villains would fall for my deception "But it isn't easy, so are you sure you can do it?"

"Of course I ca-" The villain froze up, his fellow seemingly not yet realising the situation he was in.

"Idiot." I rolled my eyes; did they really think I could only control one person at a time? "Restrain your friend there."

The Rope Quirk user yelped in surprise as his arms were pinned behind his back, the sudden motion causing him to release the rope in his hand, setting me free.

"Now." I said, leaning down to his eye level and staring straight at him, mentally activating my Quirk "Are you gonna tell me how you morons plan to kill All Might or not?"

"Go to hell you cree-" His face went blank as I took control of him, standing slack as I waved for the other villain to release him

"This League of Villains aren't the most intelligent bunch are they?" I asked aloud, though only the Brainwashed could have heard me "Whatever, go join the other one and take out the rest of your group."

The Brainwashed didn't react with affirmation, only turning on their heels and walking towards the other Brainwashed villain with jerky steps. They started to attack the remaining pockets of villains, knocking them down with stiff and jerky blows. The Brainwashed were poor fighters, unable to demonstrate any technique beyond punching and basic Quirk usage, but their opponents were confused and terrified by the behaviour of their comrades, and their retreat from the first Brainwashed villain had left them cornered and surrounded. It took quite a strong impact to knock somebody out of Brainwashing, but even these confused and demoralised villains should have had the strength to free their comrades.

Something about seeing how easily I had demoralised some of the villains made me think, the situation I was in made no sense, and something about it unnerved me. The villains I had just taken down were nothing more than low-level thugs, even if they had strong Quirks they lacked technique and understanding of even basic fighting techniques, instead attack with basic force. I had initially thought that they had gathered dozens of elite criminals, all of which had powerful Quirk, then I considered that they simply planned to beat All Might by using sheer numbers. Neither of these explanations made sense anymore, not with the attacking villains being of this level, All Might would crush them in an instant. This realisation left only one possibility, that being that these villains were all just fodder, and that they planned for a single villain to take down All Might alone. It seemed crazy to think that a single villain would be able to beat All Might, but too many crazy things had already happened today, and I couldn't afford to discount any more possibilities.

That thought was cut short by the appearance of another villain, one that had lurked in the back of his group until now. He was intimidatingly tall, with a face and physique that made him look like some kind of crazed warrior, or more like a demon. He paced slowly towards me, flexing his limbs as grotesque veins in his arms began to grow and push against his skin, marking him as another strength-enhancement Quirk user, a type that was seemingly common amongst these groups of thugs.

"You've done a real number on all these morons." He chuckled, gazing at the carnage surrounding him, even smirking at the sight of his fellow Brainwashed villains dispatching the final members of the group "I'm impressed kid, you'd be a better villain than most of these losers."

"You take that back!" I shouted towards him, my face contorting in anger as my calm slipped away.

"Ah, touched a nerve did I?" He smiled again, looking towards the Brainwashed villains "Let me guess, people take you for granted because of your Quirk? Treated you like a villain?"

I wanted nothing more than to dash forwards, crushing the villain with all of the strength and techniques I had gained over the past months, to wipe that grin off of his smug face. But a memory stopped me, the time that Aizawa had comforted me after I had almost broken down over my Quirk flashed through my mind, his words were just as meaningful and helpful now as they were back then, and I sighed in relief as I pushed my anger out of my system.

"You really think I'd be a good villain?" I asked, doing my best impression of a youth who was brimming with anger and emotion. I knew that he had seen my Quirk in action three times already, and he may have figured out how it worked, so I needed to be very careful to lure him in without slipping up. "All of these heroes treat me like shit because of my Quirk, who says you guys won't do the same?"

"Well, isn't it worth a tr-"

Hook, line and sinker, the stupidity of these villains was shocking, given their well-planned and highly coordinated attack on the USJ, and I couldn't help but grin in relief as I activated my Quirk and took control of the villain.

The final Villain's eyes glazed over as my Quirk took hold of his mind, stopping him dead in his tracks as I took complete control of his body. His twisted expression of smug confidence and superiority calmed as his face went totally blank, his body falling into a loose standing pose that mirrored the other three villains I had under my Quirk's control.

"Moron." I muttered to myself, hoping he would hear me slip back to my usual relaxed tone "Three times you saw it work and you still didn't figure it out."

I spent several seconds standing in my fighting stance, eyes darting from side to side as I scanned the horizon for any more emerging threats, every shadow could hold another enemy, and I frantically looked through the scenery of the Collapse Zone. When it finally became clear that I was alone, I collapsed to my knees, panting and wheezing in utter exhaustion. I had never fought so hard or for so long before, and the adrenaline that was sustaining me was starting to wear off, it was all I could do to keep my four Brainwashing connections stable.

The four villains in question were still stood perfectly still, each one remaining in the location I had left them in after they had completed all of the orders I had given them. After catching my breath, I pulled myself to my feet, blessing every endurance training session Aizawa had ever put me through, it was a miracle I hadn't sustained any injuries beyond a few bruises.

_Aizawa!_

That thought shook me back to reality, I may have triumphed over my own set of villains, but the fight for the USJ was very likely still underway. I paced over to the edge of the Collapse Zone, careful not to kick and awaken any of the unconscious villains that littered the landscape. From my perch above the USJ I could make out the vague shape of Aizawa, still darting between villains and fighting in the Plaza area. I could go and help him! If he was still fighting then he was pushing the limits of human endurance, I couldn't let him fight alone!

_Protect your classmates Shinso, I'm counting on you._

A memory of Aizawa's own words stopped that train of thought in its tracks, Aizawa had told me to look out for my fellow students, and I couldn't bring myself to disobey him, not after he told me that he was trusting me with that duty. Aizawa was a pro hero, and he wouldn't have jumped into that battle alone without a good reason, and I had to trust his judgement on that matter. My classmates were an entirely different matter, ignoring the possibility that they may have been removed from the USJ entirely or left at the entrance gate with Thirteen, my classmates were likely scattered amongst the remaining 5 zones of the USJ. A small part of me questioned why I had been left alone while the rest of my class were likely in groups, but I pushed that possibility aside for the moment.

My classmates were likely facing similar groups to the villains I had just taken down, though the size of the groups they were facing could vary wildly. I looked over the various areas of the USJ, trying to discern which areas contained any of my classmates that required my assistance. The Mountain Zone was almost entirely covered in an enormous glacier, a sight that I attributed to Todoroki's impressive Ice Quirk, he probably wouldn't need any help, and he most likely wouldn't accept it anyway. I watched the Flood Zone for a few moments, barely making out the figures of several villains surrounding a boat that presumably contained some of my classmates, it seemed like something was about to-

My observations were cut short when I saw a figure leap from the boat, and seemingly unleash a shockwave towards the water, causing a massive geyser to burst upwards. I watched in awe as a second figure leapt towards the geyser, their Quirk causing the entire expanse of water to fill with crackling lightning, presumably stunning the villains that still remained in the water. I assumed the event I just saw was the work of Kaminari and Midoriya, and I mentally checked that team off as being relatively safe, as they had two powerhouses on their side. It was impossible to see what was going on in the Conflagration and Squall zones, and I wasn't keen on rushing into either of them without any idea of what was going on there. That left the Ruin Zone, which was helpfully located right next to my own area.

I jogged towards the boundary of the two zones, noticing that there was a large bridge that connected the two areas, a stroke of good luck that I was greatly thankful for. If I strained my ears, I could vaguely hear a commotion coming from that area, telling me that some of my fellow students were still engaged in combat there. I was ready to head towards the Ruin zone, but one thing held me back. The villains that I had left knocked out still remained unconscious for now, but they wouldn't stay that way forever, and I wasn't willing to let my hard work taking them down go to waste. A simple but effective plan came to my mind as I jogged back to the centre of the zone, and when I arrived I put it into action, unwilling to waste even a second of time.

"You." I said, pointing towards the Rope Quirk user, who had nearly captured me before I caught him out with Brainwashing "Generate rope with your Quirk until I tell you to stop."

"You three." I snapped back towards the other three Brainwashed villains, doing my best to keep my commands simple and understandable "Drag all the other villains towards this area, and use the rope to tie them all together as strongly as possible."

These commands were apparently within the grasp of the Brainwashed, though it was one of the more complex orders I had issued before. I watched the four of them go about their task with eerie efficiency, I sat down to catch my breath, intervening occasionally with another command when the Brainwashed villains deviated from my plan. When they had finally finished their jobs, the 19 villains that had been taken out were all tied to one another, kept in a large circle with their backs facing inwards. The net of rope was highly complex, and it had been secured to several nearby posts and buildings to ensure the villains couldn't even move as a group. I assessed the situation for a moment, before looking towards the Rope Quirk user, by far the least combat-adept of the four Brainwashed criminals.

"Stay here." I barked, pointing towards a point in the middle of the net of rope, to which the villains blankly walked to "If any of them try to escape, knock them out, but don't kill them."

I never could tell if conditional commands worked, as the Brainwashed gave no affirmation or denial towards any commands I gave, but that order should have been within their mental capacity. With the villains secured, I made my way towards the Ruin Zone, stretching my aching limbs as I called back to the other three Brainwashed villains.

"Come with me." I called, before turning and muttering to myself when I was sure that they were dutifully following me "Let's see if I can make good use of that extra muscle…"

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Holy hell, this was probably one of the most challenging chapters to write, but also the most fun I've had writing in a long time. Unlike every other chapter in this story, this one consists of one long scene with no breaks, which I think captures and exemplifies the feeling of a drawn out battle of stamina and endurance. It's also by far the biggest and longest fighting scene I've written so far, but I'll be damned if it isn't satisfying watching Shinso completely cut loose and kick ass, and I hope it's enjoyable to read as well._

_Also, keep in mind that the students that are present in each Zone have been shuffled around, so there will be consequences to this change in later chapters._

_Anyway, there's another Chapter today, and the fighting doesn't end here. See you on the other side!_


	15. Chapter 15- The USJ Incident: Part 3

Chapter 15- The USJ Incident: Part 3

* * *

_Kyoka Jiro grunted with a mixture of pain and exertion, pushing her blade against a villain with metallic limbs, which he used to mercilessly attack the young student. Only instinct and the blade given to her by Yaoyorozu kept her from being overwhelmed, and the villain was putting too much pressure on her for her to use her Speakers. Despite the pressure, her own physical aptitude meant that she was able to keep the villains at bay, using her weapon to fend off any attackers that got too close. Jiro had never used a weapon like this before, but she was handling it with admirable precision, speaking to her innate skill._

_Speaking of Yaoyorozu, Jiro turned to see the recommendation student fending off a pair of villains with a steel staff, pushing each of them away even as they tried to counterattack. She was occasionally able to create and item that pushed the villains away from her, but they always returned before she could press her advantage. Yaoyorozu's expertise at various fighting styles and traditional weapon stances was on full display, and she kept her opponents at a distance with a series of precisely-executed blows and parries. Yaoyorozu silently thanked her parents for all of the fencing classes she had taken up over the last summer, as the skills she gained there were proving invaluable. She hadn't ever been in such a stressful and dangerous situation before, but the skills that she had gained in training halls transferred quite well onto the battlefield_

_Iida was beside her, and his armour-covered legs lashed out in turbo-boosted kicks, a strategy that made the villains hesitate to get too close to the armoured hero. Their hesitance was understandable, as the first villain who attacked Iida had received a rocket-boosted kick to the head, leaving him a crumpled mess on the ground. Iida was showing himself to be worthy of his family name, as he fought with the skill and grit that characterised several other members of his heroic family. His own training prior to joining UA was also proving invaluable to him, and his experience showed in how he expertly kept the group of villains at bay._

_The pair made for an effective fighting team, Iida's rapid strikes and Yaoyorozu's balanced technique were good compliments, and they were holding the villains back for now. Due to the number of villains, they were unable to go on the offensive, instead forced to remain on the back foot as they fended the villains off. It was an infuriating stalemate, with the pair unable to gain any ground against the large group that they fought against, as any villain that they gained the upper hand against would simply pull back and be replaced with a different opponent. The pair were fighting well, but they were still struggling._

_Speaking of her own fighting partner…_

_Mineta was currently cowering in one of the rocky bluffs that the quartet had their backs to, crying out at any villain that tried to attack Jiro. She groaned in annoyance at his constant interruptions, which were really doing more harm than good, disrupting her focus and all. She also didn't like the idea of having her back to the little perv, and she wouldn't put it past him to try something, even at a time like this._

_The four of them had started off separated into their respective two pairs, but they were being slowly forced back by the constant attacks by the group of villains, they kept losing ground until they were left in a single pocket of resistance. Their backs were quite literally to the wall, they didn't have any more ground to lose. The destroyed geography of the area they were trapped in ruined the possibility of a swift escape, as the uneven terrain would slow them down and leave them as easy targets for villains with ranged-type Quirks._

_They were somewhat fortunate due to the fact that the group they were fighting seemed to lack any villains with potent ranged-based Quirks as they doubted their ability to defend against projectiles as well as the villains attacking them. The downside of this fact was that most of the villains they faced were specialised or at least proficient in close combat, and even the more inexperienced villains attacked with enthusiasm, spurred on by their impending victory._

_"Get back!" Iida barked at one of the villains that was lunging for him, retaliating with a rapid series of kicks that the villain leapt away from "I hate to admit it, but we find ourselves in a stalemate, and I fear our opponents may be able to outlast us."_

_"Iida's right." Yaoyorozu coughed, her lungs were winded, and every breath felt like a strenuous task "I don't know if I can keep this up for much longer."_

_"Same here." Jiro murmured, irritated by her current situation "I can't keep up in close combat, and I don't have enough space to use my Quirk properly, I'd hit you two as well."_

_"What the hell do we do?" Mineta wailed, still shrinking back from the fight "They'll kill us if we can't beat them!"_

_Jiro bit back the urge to tell Mineta that he wasn't really doing anything, she didn't have the time for such a pointless distraction, not while villains kept trying to get through her defences. She made a mental note to scold him later, though a voice in the back of her mind told her that she might not be able to…_

_"We fight." Iida's voice was as hard as steel now, his eyes filled with grim determination "We fight until we win, or until we can't fight anymore."_

_Jiro and Yaoyorozu nodded, and returned to their respective duels with renewed vigour, even though their stamina levels were still waning. Their situation was grim, the best they could do was hold out until help arrived, preferably in the form of several costumed pro heroes. But every member of the fighting group knew that their time was limited, the villains outnumbered them greatly, and if any of them were to get tired, they would simply rotate out and allow a rested villain to take their place, whereas the three UA students were forced to fight on._

_"Look out, looks like we've got more enemies on the left." Iida barked, his voice starting to crack and strain "Be ready."_

_Indeed, Jiro could see three more figures that she didn't recognise on the hill above them, the bridge that led to the Collapse Zone was behind them, leading her to believe that they had just come from that area. Her blood ran cold as she considered the chilling possibility that the villains she saw had already 'finished off' her classmates that were brought to that area, and they were now coming for them too. Though she hated herself for the distraction, images of her classmates flashed through her mind's eye Uraraka, Ashido, Asui, Hagakure, even that idiot Kaminari. She didn't even want to consider what had happened to any of them, what if they were-_

_Her train of thought stopped dead as she caught sight of a fourth figure, one that had been obscured by the shadows of debris all around them. The figure had been observing along with the other three for a moment, but was now sprinting down the hill towards the ongoing battle, letting Jiro see its features better, and her eyes widened when she realised who it was._

_An armoured black jumpsuit covered his body, though his arms were wrapped in white cloth. A black mask covered the lower half of his face, and his wild purple hair made him instant recognisable, even though it was matted and covered in dirt. But his eyes, his eyes were what caught Jiro's attention. She knew that he was somebody who always appeared either relaxed or tired, exhibiting an apparent disinterest that rivalled her own. But now, now all she should see in his eyes was an expression of determination and raw focus, an expression that looked so feral and alien on his face that she hardly recognised him, though she knew who it was._

_The four students watched with shock and confusion as Hitoshi Shinso sprinted straight towards their enemies, then leapt straight into the crowd of villains._

* * *

My momentum carried me forwards, the sprint from the hill had invigorated me and got my blood pumping again, causing red-hot adrenaline to course through my veins. I barely registered the shocked expressions from my classmates, I had a job to do, nothing else mattered.

The first villain didn't even see me coming, so focused was he on the students that he was facing down against, that he didn't even consider the possibility that he would be attacked until it was far too late. I used my momentum to leap into the air, launching my capture weapon at the villain and pulling myself towards him in a single motion. I moved at blistering speed, and I extended my leg for another brutal kick. My strike found its mark, and the weight behind my kick sent him flying through the group of villains until he landed in a heap amongst the attackers. The villains that had witnessed the sudden strike all turned to face me, expressions ranging from surprise to apprehension on their faces.

Satisfied I had grasped their attention, I pulled a flashbang from my belt and flung it straight into the air above the group of villains, though far enough away that it wouldn't harm my classmates. I covered my own eyes for the split second that the explosion ripped through the air, then I was on the offensive again, knowing that every second mattered in this fight. The slight ringing in my ears from the device was drowned out by the sheer adrenaline that burned through my veins.

The second villain I grabbed was still reeling from the assault on his senses that the flashbang had inflicted on his, and his arms were busy grasping at his eyes and ears. I lashed out with a kick to the stomach, causing his hands to reflexively reached for the injured area, leaving his head unprotected. When I saw the opening I needed, I spun on one foot and extended my other leg, striking the villain with a spinning roundhouse kicked that sent him face-first into the dirt.

The third villain must have regained some of his sight, as he lashed out wildly towards me with sparking fists. The surprise of his quick assault caught me off guard, and I only barely managed to duck out of the way in time. I wrapped my capture tool around his wrist and wrenched his fist out of its intended path, dislocating the villain's arm in the process. He howled in pain as he tried to stumble back, but I still had a firm grasp on his wrist, and his fist was still crackling with electricity. I used my leverage to spin his hand into his own chest, relying on the fact that most electricity Quirk users weren't immune to their own voltage. Sure enough, the villain began to twitch and convulse from his own electrical Quirk, and I released his arm and threw him to the ground when I knew he wouldn't put up a fight anymore.

My fourth target wasn't part of the original plan, but they were such a wide open target that I knew it would be foolish to not take the opportunity they were giving me. She was standing bolt upright, with a single arm covering her eyes while the other hung limply at her side. The villain must have gone into shock from the surprise of the flashbang, and her body must have just refused to respond. All that was needed to dispatch this villain was a leg sweep to bring her to the ground, followed by a single strike to the throat, which would knock her out almost instantly.

The last villain that I attacked with my initial strike put up a bit more of a fight, having seemingly recovered from the flashbang. He threw several wild punches that almost made their mark, and I was briefly on the back foot as he charged forwards with wild abandon, his swings powered by raw adrenaline and rage. I ducked down low and brought my fist upwards in a powerful uppercut, catching the villain right in his chest and causing him to splutter in shock as the wind was knocked out of him. As he doubled over in pain I leapt back up to my feet and brought my knee up in another powerful arc, taking him down for the count.

The other villains had largely recovered by that point, and they watched in total disbelief when they saw I had taken down five of their fellow attackers. In truth, I had gotten lucky, the total surprise of my attack and the shock of the flashbang had sent the villains reeling with the initial surprise, and it made them easy pickings for my combat techniques.

But now the shock and surprise had worn off, and the remaining crowd of villains were ready for any future assaults I would unleash on them. They slowly formed a human wall facing towards me, with several of them facing towards my beleaguered classmates, who were currently watching in disbelief at my sudden intervention. They probably thought that I had totally lost it, to attack the villains so quickly and callously while seemingly by myself. I probably would have questioned my own decisions at this point if I was observing the exchange, but then again they didn't know what was coming next.

It was immediately clear that these villains were made of sterner stuff than my first group that I had encountered in the Collapse Zone. Then again, my plan was yet to fully unfold, and I doubted they had the willpower to resist the full assault I planned to unleash on them.

"Looks like we're getting reinforcements boys!" One of the villains called out, pointing just over my shoulder to where I knew the three Brainwashed villains were, though they would be quickly advancing towards me.

The crowd of villains was rejuvenated greatly by the appearance of three new fighters, especially three rather strong-looking ones with strength-boosting Quirks or other intimidating characteristics. It was a morale boost that the villains certainly needed after such a drawn out fight followed by a sudden assault on their flank. The appearance of three new fighters would be a massive boon to the villains and their morale.

Which is what made my plan so cruel, and so perfect for this exact scenario.

I was instructed to keep particular lessons that Aizawa taught me to myself, as they dealt with subjects and strategies that leant too far into the realm of villainy, so they were largely rejected by hero society. One of these topics was the usage of psychological warfare, how to use certain strategies to defeat an enemy on a mental level as well as physical, to utterly crush their will to fight. Underground Heroes were willing to use these techniques against the villains that they targeted, knowing that winning against villains was more important than perceptions of honour or fairness.

Aizawa had taught me that accomplishing a heroes' duty was more important than anything else, and that holding back from using certain techniques or strategies was failing in the duty of a Pro Hero. He had always talked of a certain kind of pragmatic strategy that he employed, scoffing at the notion of engaging enemies in a fair fight. 'Fair Fights', he had said, had put several heroes in early graves and left villains free to rampage and kill due to what had saw as a misguided sense of honour in the hero community. Though Aizawa was clearly biased in this matter, I also agreed with him completely, all that mattered was defeating villains and saving people, no matter how that end was achieved.

This was a lesson I had taken to heart, and one that I planned to put into use today. I had been highly specific with my instructions towards the trio of Brainwashed villains, pushing the very limit of my Quirk's ability to give complex commands. They would wait until I had finished my first attack, then sprint straight towards me, framing themselves as a relief force (even though I couldn't really give a command for that last part). And the rest… well that was about to happen right now.

I could hear the thundering footsteps of the three Brainwashed villains behind me, though I pretended to be completely oblivious to their presence, much to the amusement of the group of villains. If I didn't already know what was happening, I likely would have still realised that something was going to happen, as the villains were constantly glancing over my shoulder or pointing to the approaching villains. At the last moment, I turned on my heel, imitating an expression of shock and terror as three massive villains sprinted straight towards me, causing a chorus of cheers from the watching crowd.

But they moved around me at the last seconds, rapidly clearing the distance between me and the crowd of villains in a few seconds. The crowd was left in stunned silence, none of them were able to react in time for what came next, none of them had even considered such an eventuality.

The three Brainwashed villains slammed into the crowd with the impact of a bulldozer, pushing through the villains with all of the might and fury that their possessed minds could express. They lashed out with their mighty (but still restrained) strength, sending their targets flying backwards or spiralling to the ground. The effect of this action on the villain's morale was instantaneous and obvious, jovial grins and leers turned into surprise and even fear as the reality of their situation finally set in, as they realised that they would have no easy victory, only painful defeat. Any remaining morale or confidence evaporated within an instant, and the villains who still stood were forced into the same kind of desperate defence that they were inflicting onto the students of Class 1A just a few minutes ago. Any villain that tried to flee found their path blocked by great walls of rock and debris, they were being slowly forced into another dead-end corner.

With the second part of my plan in full swing, I re-joined the fray, adrenaline coursing through my veins and overpowered the pain and exhaustion that was causing my body to scream in protest. I abandoned any thought of fear or uncertainty, giving myself over completely to the flow of combat, though not giving in so far as to completely take leave of my senses. Nothing mattered anymore, not pain, not tiredness, not school, not even becoming a hero, all of my goals and ambitions were forced aside as a single burning desire consumed every fibre of my being.

All that mattered was saving my classmates, and I would tear through as many villains as I needed to to ensure that I would be able to carry out Aizawa's orders to me. He had risked his life to protect us, and he had told me to be his second line of defence. I wouldn't- No, I couldn't fail him, not after everything he had done for me.

A villain stepped forwards, seemingly unphased by the larger conflict at hand, his attention was instead completely focused on me, a sly grin on his face as his hands sprouted long, needle-like claws. He leapt forwards, claws flashing as he swung them towards me in a wide and ferocious swing. I ducked under his arm and spun on my heel, catching the outstretched limb by the elbow, grasping with both arms to ensure that he couldn't escape. His momentum was already carrying him forwards, and I added to that force by shifting my whole weight forwards and flipping him over my shoulder, sending him flipping onto his back with a resounding crack as he landed on the rocky ground below him. I could see that he was dazed but still conscious, so I lashed out with a light kick to his temple, the blow strong enough to knock him out without doing any long-term damage.

A cold flash of silver flashed past my eye, and I leapt back reflexi

The sudden and vicious attack had removed the pressure from my four classmates, giving them some much needed breathing room. Apparently they weren't content with simply sitting back and watching me fight, their spirits were renewed at the sudden counterattack, and they leapt forwards to push this new advantage.

Jiro's earphone jacks plugged into her boots and unleashed a devastating sonic blast that tore through the crowd of villains, causing them to cry out in pain and in some cases drop to their knees in shock. Jiro then raised a sword (presumably given to her by Yaoyorozu) and charged forwards, trading blows with the stunned and confused villains that lay in her path. She switched between physical and auditory attacks constantly, keeping her opponents unsure of her next move and thus unable to counter her effectively.

Yaoyorozu began to lash out with her steel staff, striking at the villains who had made the mistake of turning their attention away from her and towards my group. They paid dearly for their error, as Yaoyorozu exploited their weaknesses with a strength and proficiency that I wouldn't have expected from the softly-spoken recommendation student. She had clearly been trained by some kind of combat tutor, and she put whatever skills she had learned to use with impressive effect here.

Even Mineta was spurred into action by the sudden shift in the battle's momentum, he had leapt from the spot where he was hiding and started to throw the strange orbs (I refused to call them balls, lest some of Mineta's perversion rub off on me) into the crowd of villains. Initially I had assumed that he was simply throwing randomly, acting purely out of anger and adrenaline. But I could see that he had aimed at several of the prone villains, effectively restraining them from a distance. The strength of his Quirk when it came to capturing villains was impressive, as even the strongest of the villains were left unable to move once being stuck by the orbs, making them easy targets for the rest of us.

But it was Iida that I was most impressed by, I almost let myself be distracted by his fast and brutal strikes, his legs lashing out with a speed that I could never hope to match. Even after seeing him in the Battle Trial, I hadn't really considered Iida to be anybody but the over-serious Class President that shouted too much and took everything far too seriously. But in that moment I appreciated how fearsome he really was, and just how natural of a warrior he had shown himself to be. I would have to challenge him to a spar sometime, that would be a challenge that I already looked forward to.

The remainder of the villains were stuck between two groups of advancing fighters, on one side was me with three Brainwashed villains, and on the other side they faced the resurgent students that they were earlier on the brink of defeating. They were caught out of position and without a plan, or even time to react to such a sudden assault. In such circumstances, there was no hope for them to win, and the remainder of the villains leapt towards us in a mad frenzy, acting out of mad defiance rather than reason or planning.

They were all dispatched with ease, either by a UA Student or Brainwashed villain; The last villain leapt towards me, hate and mad fury in his eyes. But I saw through the emotions he presented, all I could see was desperation, the desperation of a wild animal backed into a corner, and wildly lashing out at whatever he saw. I ducked under his wild swing with practised east, and retaliated by grabbing his shirt with one hand and delivering a swift punch to the temple with the other, causing his body to go limp in my grasp.

Once I was sure the last villain was incapacitated I let go of the scruff of his shirt, letting his prone form fall to the ground. Once I was certain know other attacks would come, I finally stopped moving, coming to a sudden halt and taking in several breaths of much-needed oxygen.

Once I felt able to speak again, I turned to my four classmates, hoping that they were uninjured from their fight. All I could see was four shocked expressions looking back at me, the faces of my classmates stared at me as if I had grown a second head.

"What?" I wheezed, still struggling to get my lungs working again.

"The hell was that?" Jiro asked rather pointedly, dropping her sword to the ground in exhaustion "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I had a good teacher." I murmured, rolling my shoulders to try and relieve some of my aches "Taught me everything I know."

"And what's the story with those three there?" Yaoyorozu asked that time, exhaustion causing her to drop her usually polished manner of speaking.

"Extra muscle." I explained, shrugging my shoulders "I thought they might be able to help out."

"Shinso." Iida stepped forwards then, straightening his posture from his earlier battle-stance "I think we're all confused as to how and why you have gained the assistance of those three _villains_." The last word was almost spat out, Iida's voice was filled with disgust… and suspicion.

I stared straight at Iida for a moment, taking in his confusion and suspicion under that stern expression he wore. Behind him, Yaoyorozu, Jiro and Mineta stood together, all looking equally confused and concerned. I then turned to face the three Brainwashed villains, who all stood limply over the prone forms of other villains, awaiting further instructions. I kept looking between the three places that drew my attention, until my exhausted mind finally made the link, and I realised that I was creeping out my fellow students.

"Ah. Right. Those guys." I panted, looking back at my fellow students "They're under the effect of my Brainwashing, they won't do anything until I tell them to."

As soon as I said that, I could see the confusion and worry dissipate from the faces of my classmates and even my exhausted mind remarked on the unusual reaction of my fellow students. This was probably the first time that people had gotten _more _relaxed when I told them about my Quirk, and I could help it when a small grin made its way onto my face, thankfully obscured by my mask.

The five of us all stayed still for a few minutes, each of us trying to recover the stamina we had just burned through. Eventually, once we had recovered to a sufficient level, we set about restraining the villains we had torn through, Mineta's Quirk made this easy, and Yaoyorozu created more rope to keep the villains further restrained. Maintaining four Brainwashing links for this long was starting to strain my mind, especially with how exhausted I was, so we restrained the three Brainwashed villains and knocked them out. As soon as the links were severed I felt my mind clear, the invisible weight on it lifted. I now only had to maintain the link to the villain I had watching over the Collapse Zone, but maintaining one link was easy. We sat for a minute or so longer, trying to recuperate our depleted energy.

"We should head back to the entrance of the USJ." Iida suddenly said, catching our attention "We should rally with our other classmates there."

"I agree." Yaoyorozu said, standing from her sitting position and dusting herself off "Shinso, were there any more of us in your area?"

"No." I groaned, muscles protesting as I stood and stretched "Just me, but I believe Todoroki is in the Mountain Zone and Midoriya and Kaminari are in the Flood Zone, both groups seemed to have things under control."

I saw them relax when I mentioned my observations, it seemed that 1A was starting to rally, and we may have had a chance at getting out of this situation alive. There were still lots of students who's status was still unknown, and my mind strayed to the three people in our class that I could call friends. Despite the emotional attachment I felt, I knew that I couldn't let it compromise my actions or decisions in this moment, and I would have to trust in their own strength and skill to keep them safe.

There was another, big problem though. The enemies Aizawa was fighting in the central area were likely still engaged with the hero, and I feared for our teacher. Something in the back of my mind told me that Aizawa wouldn't be able to beat those enemies on his own, and I needed to help him, regardless of what my fellow students had planned. This intuition came from the fact that the leading villains seemed far too confident given that they had just be attacked by a Pro Hero, and this made me think that they had something else up their sleeve, something that made them think they could fight Aizawa and win.

"I'm sorry Iida, but I can't go along with your proposal." I turned to face my classmates, Aizawa's order to protect them still in my mind "You guys have been through enough already, but there's something else I need to deal with."

I've helped your students Aizawa, but now I need to help you. I can only hope I'm not too late…

* * *

_Author's Note_

_And another part of the USJ Incident wraps up, this one seeing Shinso assist some of his classmates with their villain problem. I'm putting my notes for both of today's chapters here, as last chapter really needed all of the word count._

_Damn, I'm having so much fun writing Shinso tearing through these villains, there's something just so cathartic to see this student that's been told he couldn't be a hero beating down on all these villains with more 'heroic' Quirks. I hope that Shinso hasn't come across as too OP in these chapters, as I've tried to be realistic with his skills, having him use his Quirk and combat skills to tip the odds back into his favour. If he does seem to OP please let me know, it's something that I try to avoid._

_I liked exploring the mechanics of Shinso's Quirk a bit more this chapter as well, as up to this point its been used as a 'reply to me then stay still' button, which doesn't really show off his real power that well. Having Brainwashed villains fight alongside Shinso let me even the odds in his favour, and it made his victory over such a large group a bit more plausible. I liked exploring the psychological impact of having your allies start attacking you, and the mental threat that Shinso presents is becoming far more scary, maybe even more so than his physical abilities, (Mind over Matter if you will)._

_Anyway, I had a few helpful reviewers point out that I made a mistake with the amount of villains at the USJ, as Shinso originally said that there were 'hundreds' of villains emerging from Kurogiri's portal. This was silly, as there were 75 villains in total at the USJ, and I forgot to account for the fact that villains were teleported to each area rather than all emerging in the middle and running out. I fixed Shinso's dialogue, so he said 'dozens' and thought no more about it, until I looked at the numbers a bit closer, and found out that they didn't really add up. The manga shows the central crowd of villains that Aizawa fights to number at about 30, and going through frames of the anime reveals that Midoriya's and Yaoyorozu's groups both fought villain groups numbering around 20. I doubt that there were only 5 more villains in the whole USJ, and this would provide a good challenge for our purple protagonist, so I've decided to alter the numbers to make the story a bit more sensible. There will be 30ish villains in the central group, and around 20 in each of the zones (I'll probably show the other four zone fights in a bonus chapter), this brings the total number of villains to be around 150, which is far more sensible in my mind. I hope that this change isn't an issue for anybody, it simply made telling this story far easier._

_Anyway, lets get to answering reviews:_

_Raven Mordrake: As I've addressed above, I am a little dubious of the USJ villain tally, and it doesn't really fit my plan for this arc, so I've performed a soft retcon, changing the number of villains from 75 to 'about 150, it's a small change, but one that makes my life tonnes easier. That said, this still means that Shinso took on about a quarter of the villain group, as well as more in this chapter, even if he had to creatively use his Quirk to win. You're right to say that this gives Shinso tonnes more experience, and that will come back into play later._

_Alexanderjuarez499: I've thought this over and you're totally right, it was a bit of a knee-jerk reaction on my part, but you're correct in saying that UA probably wouldn't care if a student carried a knife for non-offensive purposes, especially with people like Bakugo and Todoroki running about. He's gonna get some new equipment during his internship, so keep your eyes open._

_Eclipse-lunar: I've been pondering this myself, and I'm still a little split on whether or not to give him his capture tool during the Sports Festival. On one hand, yeah Aoyama was allowed his belt to help with his Quirk. But on the other hand I'm pretty sure Aoyama was only allowed his belt because his Quirk starts to destroy his body without it, so it's more essential than Shinso's capture tool. I'll have to think this over a bit more._

_Evergone the Great: Glad to hear you enjoyed the chapter, I hope you like this combat-filled double bill. As I've said up above, I had an issue with the USJ numbers for the purpose of this story, and I've changed some things about that to fit the story better. That said, thanks for altering me to this error, I amended the earlier chapter to say 'dozens' as I estimate there to be about 20 villains in each zone, with Aizawa facing around 30. Your idea for a cutaway to Shinso is really funny, it's just a shame that this stories' structure and POV mean it isn't really possible._

_OnlineOverlord15: I hope this double chapter satiated your thirst for Shinso kicking ass, you're absolutely right to say that this is almost the perfect fight for him, and I hope my writing reflected that. You make a good point about Shinso using his Quirk in a rescue scenario, and I'll be sure to include your idea somewhere._

_Thank you all for continuing to read, follow, favourite and review this story, it really does mean the world to me. Not to spoil tomorrow's chapter, but Shinso and Shigaraki are about to meet face to face, see you then…_


	16. Chapter 16- The USJ Incident: Part 4

Chapter 16- The USJ Incident: Part 4

* * *

"What do you mean Shinso?" Iida asked, sounding uncertain as to what I was implying with my words "We have an opening to get back to the USJ Entrance with the others, we should take it!"

"I can't do that Iida." I muttered, inwardly lamenting the fact that I was about to argue with the person most likely to disagree with me. I respected Iida's combat prowess, but I knew that his rigid attitude would make this conversation difficult "There's something else I need to do."

"Shinso!" Yaoyorozu cut in, seemingly catching on to what I was implying "I know you must be worried about the rest of our classmates, but you need to think rationally, you can't run off on your own!"

"That's not it." I muttered, drawing confused glances from my classmates "Of course I'm worried about our classmates, but we have to trust that they can handle themselves."

"Then what's the issue?" Jiro asked, pacing over to where the three of us were talking.

"Think about it, the villains that we fought weren't too impressive, they only did as well as they did because they had numbers on their side." As I thought I placed a hand on my chin, a tic that I must have picked up from Tsu "Yet they think that they could kill All Might with this force, it just doesn't add up…"

"I see." Yaoyorozu muttered, picking up from my own train of thought "They're clearly not stupid, otherwise they wouldn't be able to orchestrate this whole thing. So their plan to kill out All Might must still not be finished."

"So they're using these lesser villains as cannon fodder." Iida spoke up, speaking the conclusion that we had all arrived at "You think that there must be another villain hidden in this group that is waiting to come and kill All Might."

"Exactly." I replied, impressed by the observations my peers had made "And there's only two places they could be."

When none of my classmates spoke up, I realised that they were waiting for me to continue.

"It will either be that shadowy villain that scattered us around, a Quirk like that could send All Might anywhere." I took a breath before addressing what I thought to be the more likely option "Or the villain is located in the centre, where Mr. Aizawa is fighting."

"Why would they be there?" Jiro asked, drawn into our investigation "I can see the logic in the entrance, but why would the villain hang around in the middle of the arena."

"If these villains could be beaten by all of us, Mr. Aizawa should have taken them all out within a minute or so, but he's still fighting." I paused for a second, and sure enough, the distant sounds of combat were still audible from the centre of the USJ "If he's stuck in a fight when we've already taken out two groups of villains, then the villains he's fighting must be stronger."

"That sounds plausible." Yaoyorozu's glance moved throughout the whole USJ "It's the best theory we have so far, so we'll have to go with it."

I nodded in agreement, and murmurs of assent came from Iida and Jiro.

"Are you guys crazy!"

The shout drew our attention to Mineta, who had initially ignored the conversation going on, though he had apparently overheard our plan that we had just formulated.

"You just managed to escape being killed by one group of villains, and now you want to go fight the one that's meant to kill ALL MIGHT!" Mineta yelled, sounding utterly incredulous.

"We can't let the villains get the upper hand on us." I said, turning away as I strapped the artificial vocal chords onto my face. The cold weight of the mask was oddly reassuring, and I already felt more focused for having it prepared "If we have an opportunity to weaken their position, we need to take it."

"Besides." Jiro spoke up "It's not like we're actually going to take on the villain that's meant to fight All Might, we're just trying to find out what's going on."

"Exactly." Yaoyorozu produced another steel staff to replace its broken counterpart, giving it an experimental twirl "So, how do you want to do this Shinso?"

I was a little surprised to see that Yaoyorozu was willing to let me call the shots, but I was grateful for the trust she had placed in me. It occurred to me that I had underestimated the softly-spoked recommended student, perhaps subconsciously dismissing her as a rich girl who got into UA through her parent's connection, and while there might be some truth to that, she was clearly just as deserving of her place in UA as anyone else, and her skill spoke for itself.

Trying to plan ahead in this scenario was difficult, I was fine to come up with a plan for myself, as I knew my own skills and limits, as well as which courses of action were best for me. Coming up with something that takes other people into account was far more difficult, I barely even knew the four people I was talking too, much less the limit of their capabilities and which types of actions they were best at.

I ran through dozens of different scenarios in my head, each one consisting of different courses of action and pathways through the USJ. Several of these scenarios were bound to end badly, or result in time being pointlessly wasted. Several other scenarios put my classmates in more danger than I would like, and I didn't wish to put them in any more danger than needed. That left only one course of action that could work, though I wasn't sure that they would like my proposal.

"You four should go to the entrance and check on the smoke villain, as well as seeing if any of our classmates or Thirteen are present there." I said, formulating a plan as I spoke, unsure of how insane I sounded to my classmates "I'll try and see what's going on with Aiz- Mr. Aizawa in the central area."

"Are you certain that going on your own is the best idea?" Iida asked, placing his helmet over his head "It would make you an easy target if any villains were to sneak up on you."

"I'm only going to observe, not to fight." I said, wrapping my capture weapons back around my arms. In less stressful circumstances I would have felt bad about lying to Iida, but I wasn't too concerned about personal morals at this time "If I get caught then I can use my Quirk to bail myself out, but I'll do my best to stay unseen."

"Very well." Iida still seemed to be a little dubious of my plan, and I couldn't blame him for that. But he at least accepted the situation, and that was all I needed "Avoid fights unless absolutely necessary, and come to the entrance as soon as you can, understood?"

"Absolutely." I replied, remembering how seriously Iida took his position as Class President "Good luck to you, be careful with that smoke villain."

With those last words the quartet departed, even Mineta had been convinced of the plan, though this was probably only because it brought him closer to the exit of the USJ.

I felt a little bad to be concealing my motives from my classmates, but it was necessary to ensure I would be able to go help Aizawa. I could only pray that I wasn't too late to make a difference.

After checking my equipment one more time, I began to move towards the centre of the USJ, unsure of exactly what awaited me.

* * *

The sight in front of me was nothing short of horrifying.

It had seemed promising at first, as I had noticed several groups of villains that had clearly been knocked cold by my ment- teacher. I had foolishly let myself think that Aizawa had taken out all of the villains, and had simply moved on to assist students in other parts of the USJ. This belief let me think that the trials of the day were almost over, and that Aizawa could have already rescued all of the other students in the class.

That illusion was cruelly shattered when I saw two figures standing amongst the other villains. One of the villains was a man garbed in black with bright blue hair, any other features were concealed by a multitude of pale hands that seemed to grip onto his body, lending him a morbid and ghoulish appearance. The other figure was even more terrifying, it was at least 8 feet tall, and seemed to be made of pure muscle; the figure's skin was dark blue and covered in red markings, and it was garbed in nothing but a pair of torn and filthy shorts. As I got closer, I saw that this second figure's head seemed to be more like a bird's with a large beak and an eye located on each side of its head; the most distressing part of its appearance was its brain, which was exposed on the top of its head, the pinkish mass twitching every few seconds.

On further inspection I could see that this creature, for there was no way that this thing was human, was holding a large black mass in its enormous hands, and it took me only a few seconds to identify the mass.

It was Aizawa, and he had clearly been grievously injured at the hands of these two villains. Aizawa was covered in blood, and at least one of his arms was broke and hopelessly twisted. I could barely make out his golden goggles, smashed on the ground and surrounded by his own blood. I was horrified to see what had happened to Aizawa, and sickened to see that the villain covered in hands seemed to be treating it as some kind of game.

"You look awful silly you know." The voice came from the villain, and he turned his head to face the debris I was crouched behind "There's no point in hiding, nowhere here is safe."

Well… shit.

With reluctance, I stood from my hiding spot and took a few cautious paces towards the villain, unsure how to proceed. I had expected to have been able to observe for a time, but it seemed that this villain was far more perceptive than I had expected.

"Well, I was at least expecting a Pro." The villain chuckled, the harsh sound causing me to wince "I'm the one in charge here, and UA sends a child after me."

"Let him go." I said, trying and failing to keep my nerves out of my voice.

"Oh? You've come here to rescue Eraserhead?" He laughed again, before the sound abruptly ceased "Well, let's see if you're up to the task."

"Nomu." He said, turning to face the creature, apparently called Nomu "Stop breaking the hero for now, but keep hold of him."

The creature obeyed, but it's expression was totally slack and empty, making me wonder if it was even aware of my presence. Indeed, some part of me was unsure over whether or not this creature was even human at all, it's alien appearance and behaviour made it seem more like some kind of trained beast than somebody with a mutant-type Quirk.

"Now then." The villain said, turning his attention back to me "I'm a good sport, so I'll give you the first hit."

Without waiting for confirmation from my opponent, I launched both capture tools from my arms towards the villain, ready to disable his fighting capability as quickly as possible. Both tools were perfectly placed, and they wrapped around the villain's arms and ensnared them tightly, it was as close to a perfect capture as I could hope for.

The villain seemed somewhat surprised by how sudden my attack was, which made his response even more shocking. After chuckling again, the villain's hands grasped the capture tools, and some kind of grey affect began to spread throughout the cloth.

I could only watch as both of my capture tools began to disintegrate as soon as the villain's hands had touched them. The white fabric rapidly turned grey, crumbling away to dust in an instant. The decaying affect spread rapidly towards me, and I threw the tools to the ground before the Quirk could affect me. The last of the fabric decayed away, leaving me without my greatest weapon against this villain.

The Quirk was like nothing else I had ever seen, destructive and powerful Quirks were nothing new, in fact they were the staple of many heroes' abilities, but this was something else. The way that the capture tools had crumbled to dust in an instant was terrifying, and I was faced with the reality that I might well be affected by that Quirk in a few seconds, and I had no idea how to counter it.

"You're looking a little less confident now aren't you?" The villain taunted, his light and scratchy voice echoing through my head "Lets wipe that expression off of your face for good."

Before I could even process the villain's words, he had leapt towards me, hands outstretched and raw killing intent radiating from his very being. His speed was ridiculous, it was as if he had simply appeared right in front of me, hand outstretched and ready to kill. The villain swung his opened palm towards me at impossible speed, and I only just managed to avoid the attack and the destructive Quirk that he surely wished to use against me.

There was no time for me to consider a counter to the villain's attack, and it was all I could do to recover from my first hurried dodge. Another strike came quickly, and this one was even closer to making contact with me, only training and a stroke of luck prevented me from being hit. I fell backwards from the sheer shock of the assault, leaving the villain crouched over me, with a hand placed only a few inches away from my throat.

His face was hovering over mine, and for the first time I could see what few features were visible under the hand that he wore as a mask. Dry, cracked skin was visible under the fingers of the hand, and he features seemed to twitch constantly. But his eyes, his eyes were bright red, and they conveyed an expression that I could only describe as utter madness, the kind of madness that only arises from zealous conviction.

This was no ordinary villain; he was something else entirely.

"So, do you think that All Might will come and save you now?" He mocked, bringing his hand closer and closer to my throat "Or will the symbol of peace let one of his beloved students die?"

"Can you beat him?" I called out, activating my Quirk in the kind of frantic desperation that I had hoped to never experience. I knew that my odds of activating my Quirk successfully were low, but it was the only chance I had.

"Of- " As soon as the first syllable had left the villain's mouth, I activated my Quirk, my eyes were clasped shut in pure fear, and I only opened them when I felt the familiar connection of Brainwashing in my mind.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the villain exactly where he had been moments prior, hand hovering millimetres from my throat, ready to end me in an instant. For several seconds I held my breath, scared that even the motion of breathing could get me disintegrated.

"Move your hand back." I finally whispered, watching with relief as the brainwashed villain obeyed my command and pulled his hand about a foot away from me.

As soon I knew I would be able to safely exit, I scrambled away from the villain that had come so close to ending my life. After panting in exhaustion for several seconds, I made sure that the villain was remaining still, even though I knew I had him properly Brainwashed. Once I was certain that the villain wasn't going to attack me, I turned my attention to the other looming threat that I faced.

The creature that the villain had called Nomu was standing exactly where he was left earlier, the prone form of Aizawa still held in his titanic grasp. The creature's expression was completely blank, as if it was totally brain-dead, as if…

An idea came to mind, and remembering how the villain had commanded the creature earlier, I began to program the artificial vocal chords to mimic the villains voice in the hope that this creature obeyed the villain without question. It took a while to mimic the villain's voice, his high vocal pitch and bizarre inflection was difficult to replicate, especially considering my own naturally low pitch. During the entire process I kept one eye focused on the creature, expecting it to jump into life at the slightest provocation. Eventually I had the chords programmed in a fairly convincing mimicry, hopefully it would be enough to command the creature to the point it would obey.

I moved around so that the villain with the hands stood between me and 'Nomu', though he was still frozen in a half-crouch. If my guess was right, then the large beast should mindlessly obey any commands given to it by its master, though the evidence for this being the case was fairly light, and something in the back of my mind told me that I was making a massive error. With one last look to see if I was hidden by the villain, I made my move, hoping against all odds that my plan worked.

"Nomu." I said, flinching when I saw the creature look towards me at the sound of my altered voice "Let go of the hero, we have other things to do."

A few moments passed, during which the creature stood perfectly still, giving no sign that it had even heard my words. To my relief, it eventually loosened its grip on Aizawa, letting the battered Pro fall to the ground.

"Now wait right there." I said again, ensuring that it wouldn't suddenly spring back into life "Don't do anything else unless I tell you to."

There was no way to tell if the creature had obeyed this last command, so I simply had to hope that my gambit had been successful. I cautiously paced towards Aizawa, keeping my eyes on the creature the entire time, though it seemed to not even notice my presence. I reached for Aizawa and dragged him away from the creature as gently as I could, though I couldn't help but notice the puddle of blood that Aizawa was lying in.

Once I was a few metres clear of the villain, I hauled Aizawa's body over my shoulders, letting me bear the weight of the unconscious Pro with some semblance of ease. Aizawa was in a bad way, but I simply didn't have the equipment or skills to treat his injuries right now, I just had to get him out of harm's way.

With one last look at the duo I had left frozen in the centre of the USJ, I turned and made my way towards the great staircase that led to the exit of the USJ.

* * *

The weight of Aizawa's prone form on my back was starting to hinder me more and more as I staggered up the stairs towards the entrance of the USJ, and my progress was slow going. I was relieved to see that no villains were pursuing me or lying in wait on the stairs, as I would have been unable to fight while carrying my unconscious mentor, and I wouldn't dare to drop him after the injuries he had already suffered. A brief glance backwards to see what was going on at the USJ yielded no results, but I noticed a trail of blood that traced the path I had taken up the stairs. I needed to get Aizawa treated before it was too late, and that thought spurred me onwards with greater vigour.

Despite my physical exhaustion, my mental state was even worse. Using my Quirk for long periods of time wasn't usually much of an issue, and I imagined I would be able to maintain a single Brainwashing connection for as long as I was awake. Maintaining multiple connections took a great deal more effort, and even though I had released some of the villains I had control over, the stress of holding their minds in my grasp for an extended period of time was taking its toll on my psyche.

Most Quirks had side effects that would manifest from overuse, and these symptoms were often as bizarre and varied as Quirks themselves. They ranged from aching limbs, to drained stamina, to something as strange as Midoriya's bone-destroying power. Mental Quirks were different and slightly more nuanced, and as such their symptoms of overuse were often as subtle and invisible as the Quirks they originated from. My symptom of overuse would be a throbbing migraine that would start painful and only grow in intensity as time wore on, and the only cure seemed to be burying my head in the nearest pillow and sleeping the next day away.

I could already feel the dull, throbbing pain spreading throughout my skull, and I tried my best to push forwards and ignore it, no matter how difficult that could be. Trying not to focus on my headache had at least provided me with a momentary distraction from my slow climb up the stairs of the USJ, and I noted with some relief that I was nearing the top of the mountain of steps.

In fact, I could hear shouting coming from the top of the stairs, and the familiarity of some of the voices caused a weight to lift from my mind that I didn't even realise I was carrying. The knowledge that some more of my classmates were still alive was a great relief, and the optimism that this revelation brought me was enough to spur me onwards, adrenaline driving me forwards. The shouting suddenly changed, from the frenzied yells of combat to a more confused yelling that easily carried throughout the stadium.

"Where did he go?"

"He just vanished!"

"He could be anywhere!"

These noises of confusion made me look backwards, expecting to see the shrinking forms of the leader of the villains and that 'Nomu' creature that had responded to the leader's commands. Instead I saw the large black void that indicated the presence of the warping villain that had sent me to another part of the USJ, I realised that he must have been warping in to check on the leader of the villains. I felt the ice of fear grip my heart again when I considered that he might have already finished with his own task, and the implications of that thought were terrifying to consider.

My fear of harm to my classmates was replaced by something far more immediate, when I realised that the mist villain was inspecting the state of the leader of the villains, as well as the 'Nomu' creature that was still standing where I had left it. As I watched the fog villain inspect his leader, I realised what was about to occur, but a morbid curiosity kept me watching the events unfolding below me, the barely distinct blurs of the leading villains somehow coming into a terrible clarity. It wouldn't take long for the Fog Villain to figure out how to break his leader from the hold of my Quirk, and it was likely that the being they called 'Nomu' would be easily commanded once the lead villain was free to act on his own.

The inevitable happened, my Brainwashing connection with the head villain was abruptly severed, leaving me wincing in pain at the abrupt separation as I saw the figure of the villain's leader begin to twitch and pace back and forth. The figure was clearly agitated at the trick I had pulled on him, and I could see some wild gestures in his stance even from the distance I stood at. The figure started frantically turning on the spot, seemingly looking for something or someone, most likely me.

I knew that I should have started running, for what was about to happen to me was obvious. But I was frozen in shock and disbelief, I was so close to making it out of this situation, only to be stopped at the last moment. The remaining stairs in front of me seemed to stretch out into infinity, and what seemed like a short journey to the exit now appeared to be a path that would take hours more to fully scale. The weight of Aizawa's unconscious form seemed to be growing heavier and heavier with every breath I took, and the very real possibility of him bleeding to death right here shot through my mind.

All these worries and more flooded my mind, I knew I couldn't afford to freeze, but I knew that any effort to escape would be futile at this point. Despite this, I moved up the stairs as quickly and steadily as I could, throwing a glance back over my shoulder every few steps. I could see the leader of the villains slowly making his way towards the creature he had called Nomu, and the sight of such an action spurred me on even further. I tried to muster the last scraps of my energy to move faster up the stairs, and even though I knew what was coming I turned to look behind me.

Everything that happened next seemed to happen all at once, the staggering speed of events being almost impossible to perceive. First, I saw the creature called Nomu flex its enormous limbs at the presence of its leader, clearly it had been given a command of some sort, and I had little doubt of what that was. Next, the creature leapt forwards with a force that I could scarcely comprehend, it's explosive leap shattering the concrete floor below it and sending the creature flying towards me at an impossible speed. A moment after it had leapt, it landed on the stairs that I had been climbing, maybe 20 metres or so below me; the impact of the landing was so great that I was almost thrown to the ground, only luck and training kept me on my feet.

Before I could even react to this, something else happened. A hole suddenly burst into existence at the roof of the USJ, the object that had caused the sudden rupture in the building seemed to be a blur of white and brown, crashing into the stairs just above me. The smoking crater that had formed in front of me held a large blurred figure, one that was easily as large and muscular as the 'Nomu' that was pursuing me. For a brief moment, I thought that the shape was another one of these creatures, sent by the villains to finally finish me off.

This fear was banished from my mind when the smoke cleared, revealing the identity of the shape that had crashed into the USJ. It was a figure that was simultaneously terrifying and awe-inspiring, but above all else it was a figure that exuded raw _power, _the kind of presence that only one person in the world could exude to this degree.

"All Might." I whispered, as if acknowledging his presence would make him being here more real. I almost expected the Pro to disappear from my sight, a cruel illusion of hope that would be ripped away from me at the last second.

The symbol of peace was almost unrecognisable from when I had seen him during training. Not for the lack of his costume, nor his lack of speech, which usually heralded hope and relief to all that heard it. No, it was his face. The usual grin was gone, replaced by an expression that spoke of a mixture of burning rage and righteous indignation, the intensity of which startled me. To see such anger on All Might's face was almost as unbelievable as everything else that had happened today.

"**Young Uraraka told me what happened, I was on my way here anyway, I had a bad feeling of my own.**" All Might's voice wasn't its usual bombastic shouting, instead being far more akin to a hushed whisper, though his voice still seemed to carry through the room with terrifying clarity "**She's going to fetch the rest of the Pro Heroes, they'll be here any minute now.**"

That last statement caused relief to fill my mind, All Might was here, and Pro Heroes were coming. Was it really possible that this incident was almost over? Could we really have made it through this attack?

"**Aizawa.**" All Might muttered, seemingly noticing his presence on my back for the first time "**I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier my friend, but I hope I can make things right.**"

"All Might!" I shouted, finally finding my voice. I knew I had to warn him about what the villains had said "This creature was designed by the villains to kill you! They said it was-"

"**Do not fear, Young Shinso.**" All Might said, cutting off my spiel and placing a hand on my shoulder. "**Why?**"

All Might turned towards the creature, ready to engage the being that was made to kill him. His eyes seemed to blaze with blue fire, and the aura of power that surrounded him seemed to strengthen. He glanced back towards me; a hint of his signature smile visible in his furious expression, though it did nothing the lessen the menace that exuded from him.

"**For I Am Here.**"

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Well, that was a tough one to get through._

_Apologies for delaying this Chapter, I got hit with a double dose of a bad Flu and Writer's Block, both of which seriously impeded my ability to get this Chapter written in a reasonable length of time._

_As well as that, this has probably been the Chapter that has seen the most changes and edits across both of my stories. I was incredibly unhappy with several drafts I had written, and minor editing and changing didn't really seem to do anything to fix that. I ended up re-writing the whole Chapter twice before I got it into a place where I was relatively happy with the final product, hopefully it's enjoyable for all of you as well._

_We'll return to daily Chapters until we reach Chapter 60, with double Chapters on Sundays, as well as doubles for tomorrow and Sunday. This will bring us to early December, where I have a new project waiting (I won't spoil what it is, safe to say it's another My Hero Academia story focusing on characters that aren't shown as much)._

_And now, to answer the reviews that the last chapter received, I'll keep it brief this time as we have quite a few to get through:_

_OnlineOverlord15: That's a fair point, I'm fairly sure that Shinso's Quirk wouldn't work on animals as the show and manga specifies that people have to reply to Shinso to trigger his Quirk, and animals obviously can't reply. Then again Nezu is technically an animal, not human…_

_Raven Mordrake: The OVAs and movie(s) will absolutely make an appearance in this story, they're great stories and I'd love to include them. I might have to shift timelines around a bit to make the OVAs and movies fit, but they'll be there. As well, I'll probably add my own OVA-style side-stories and such to improve pacing and allow for some nice character moments._

_Rex559: That's a very good question, and I don't want to spoil what will happen, but rest assured that The League and All For One will have their plans for our protagonist. The Forest Camp Arc is the arc that I've planned the most extensively so far, and I'm really excited to get to it._

_Alexanderjuarez499: We'll see on that front. In Canon, Shinso brainwashed several students to carry him into the final round, and his mediocre combat skills would have let him down otherwise. This stories' Shinso is stronger and more physically capable, but also is a bit more empathetic and less bitter towards the Hero Course, so this might affect his performance in the Sports Festival._

_Eclipse-lunar: I'm glad to hear that you agree with Shinso' level of power so far, I remember that in canon several students commented on how the villains were mostly low level thugs, so I thought that Shinso taking a lot of them on made sense. As for Shigaraki, you're right in saying that Shinso has no chance against him, I hope that this Chapter provided a good alternative to a fight._

_Vilma Arnez: This review helped me a lot in planning this Chapter, and I hope that the end result was a satisfying series of events. As you said, Shinso was able to disable Shigaraki and Nomu by clever usage of his power, but it sadly wasn't enough to stop The League. Besides, Shinso is on course to be an underground hero in the same fashion as Eraserhead, so I don't really want him to be famous._

_Evergone the Great: Well, I hope that I resolved the Shigaraki/Nomu conundrum in a satisfying way, it was the most realistic situation I could come up with that wasn't a total stomp in one direction or the other. I really, really like your idea for Mustard and the Forest Arc, I had that Arc planned out somewhat already, but I'm going to switch it around a little to accommodate that suggestion, it's such a great character building moment that I hadn't even considered._

_DragonStorm88: I'm glad to see that I didn't make Shinso too powerful, I tried to limit his strength in this chapter, and he'll certainly face bigger challenges in the future. Thanks for the feedback, and I hope you enjoyed the Chapter._

_StandupSitdown: Thank you very much for all the kind words, and I hope that I continue to do Shinso justice in the future. He's a great character that unfortunately doesn't get a lot of screen time, so he's the perfect candidate in my mind to get a story focused on him._

_Well, that's all for now. See you tomorrow for a two-part intermission showing what the other students are getting up to at USJ. Thank you all for reading and I'll see you then!_


	17. Chapter 17- The USJ Incident: Part 5

Chapter 17- The USJ Incident: Part 5

* * *

_Ejiro Kirishima was having a pretty bad day._

_Sure, it had started well enough. He had gotten a good early morning exercise session in, then he had got to UA to learn that he would be undergoing rescue training with the rest of his class. He was interested to see what the rest of his class were capable of in a different setting to the Battle Trials, and he was excited to learn about another aspect of being a hero._

_More than that, he was excited to be able to show off his own skills to his classmates, as he was one of the few students that hadn't been seen in action by his peers yet. His participation in the Battle Trials was practically nil, as Todoroki had ended the match within an instant, and he was left outside while his teammate did everything was absolute ease._

_Kirishima was keen to prove himself to be a capable hero-in-training, both to himself and to his classmates. Only Ashido knew what he was like before entering UA, and he was determined to cement his new personality in front of everyone in his class. His high-school debut would be today, and he could move forwards from his memories of middle school, walking into the future with no regrets._

_With this ambition in mind, it was easy to see how Kirishima could be disappointed by how the day had panned out._

_First of all, this large group of villains had shown up at the USJ, and Mr. Aizawa had jumped down to confront them, leaving his students watching in disbelief. Then this large shadowy villain had shown up, proclaiming that the villains were going to kill All Might, the very idea of which had boiled Kirishima's blood. In a moment of anger, Kirishima had charged towards the villain, intent on crushing the threat that the villains posed to UA._

_In the end, he had only gotten in the way, forcing Thirteen to release her hold over the villain to avoid injuring her own students (Bakugo had ended up jumping in as well, to nobodies surprise). By the time Kirishima had realised his mistake, it was too late, and the black fog villains had expanded and enveloped them all, totally disorientating Kirishima._

_By the time he had got his bearings it was already too late._

_He had been moved somewhere else by the villain, who presumably had some kind of warping Quirk that he had used to send Kirishima away. Looking around, he saw that he was surrounded by several large concrete buildings, all of which were engulfed in intense flames. For a brief moment, he thought that he had ended up in a city being attacked by villains, and he reflexively activated his Hardening Quirk over his entire body, turning his skin in a rock-like substance._

_On further inspection, Kirishima realised that the city he was in was encased in a large metal dome, and he also hadn't seen or heard any other activity throughout the supposedly burning city. He eventually made the connection, he was still inside the USJ, having apparently been sent to the Conflagration zone. This realisation was simultaneously relieving and concerning to Kirishima, on one hand he hadn't been scattered far from his classmates, and if his case was any indication, the rest of his class was still in the USJ as well; on the other hand, the villains were clearly confident in their abilities if they hadn't bothered to send the students far from their peers, and the implications of that line of thought troubled Kirishima greatly._

_"Yo!" A voice came out from behind Kirishima, startling the teen "Shitty Hair!"_

_This nickname made Kirishima pause for a moment, until he remembered that Bakugo had called him that a few times, in the middle of his typical furious spiels directed towards anybody that happened to be nearby. Sure enough, Bakugo emerged from the fog, accompanied by the lean form of Hanta Sero. Both seemed to be slightly on edge, though Bakugo was seemingly more infuriated than nervous._

_"Bakugo! Sero!" Kirishima replied, jogging towards his two classmates "So that fog guy sent you two here as well?"_

_"Looks like it." Sero said, his face obscured by his helmet's visor, which he had pulled down as soon as he had arrived at this area "I don't know where anyone else is for now, but I'm guessing they all got moved around as well."_

_Kirishima nodded in agreement, releasing his Hardening Quirk when he realised he was in no immediate danger. Though it may have been more practical to keep his Quirk active, doing so also drained his stamina quite quickly, and he knew he would need all of the energy he could spare for now._

_"Bastards." Bakugo spat, small explosions sparking from his hands to mirror his frustration "Couldn't take us out when we were all in one place, must have figured they needed to split everyone up."_

_"That doesn't matter right now." Kirishima cut in, his mind suddenly spinning with possibilities "We need to find a way to group back up with everyone else, they might all be in this zone."_

_"As if, I want another go at that misty bastard, to hell with the rest of them, they can handle themselves." Bakugo rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles in anticipation "Besides, they wouldn't have put us all in one place, there'd be no point in splitting us all up."_

_Kirishima and Sero muttered in agreement, as crass as he made it sound, Bakugo's words made sense. Their classmates were probably all around the USJ, spread throughout the various areas of the building._

_"But what's the point in sending us all away?" Kirishima asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion "We'll be able to get back in a few minutes anyway, it seems pointless."_

_"Hold that thought." Sero spoke up, drawing the attention of the other two teens "We've got company."_

_Sure enough, Kirishima could make out several smoky shapes travelling towards the trio from the other end of the street the three stood in. Even though they were indistinct, it was obvious that these figures weren't his classmates, their large frames meant they were clearly adults._

_"Damn" Kirishima said, reactivating his Hardening Quirk as he readied for a fight. "And I thought this would be an easy exit."_

_"It will be." Bakugo barked, dropping into a fighting stance as his palms sparked "These wannabe villains will be easy pickings."_

_Kirishima and Bakugo glanced towards each other, and saw a mirror of determination and anticipation reflected back at each other. While Bakugo was more manic, and Kirishima more stoic, they both wore a similar expression, one of readiness and resolve. In the heat of the Conflagration Zone, the pair arrived at some kind of understand, faint as it may be._

_Sero and Kirishima dropped into their own stances alongside Bakugo, readied for the oncoming group of enemies. And before long, the villains were upon them, and the fight had begun._

_Bakugo was many things, proud, impetuous and furious were all words that had been ascribed to him by other, and he had worn those words like they were badges of honour. Above all else though, he was a born warrior, someone who was most at home in the heat and fury of combat, and his Quirk reflected his fierce warrior spirit. As soon as the first of the villains was in range, he had acted, overwhelming his attackers with a furious mixture of punches, kicks and powerful explosions._

_Bakugo moved through the crowd with almost unnerving ease, tossing aside the villains like they were little more than pebbles on the road in front of him. In fact, this is how he saw his attackers, as little more than a minor nuisance that stood in his way, and he would deal with these distractions the only way he knew how to. In the middle of the swirling melee, he proved to all those around him why he was going to be the number one hero one day, and every villain he laid low was another step on the road to his goal._

_Kirishima was different, though he also aspired to greatness and to prove himself, he didn't move with the same burning ferocity that his counterpart did. Instead, as his Quirk exemplified, Kirishima acted as an immovable barrier, an insurmountable mass of rock-hard skin that simply shrugged off any attack that was directed towards it._

_Kirishima barely even moved from the area he had started at, instead allowing the villains to come to him, as they would see him as easy and stationary prey. He would swiftly prove them wrong as soon as they tried to fight him, and they would pay for their arrogance in spectacular fashion. Punches, kicks, weapons and Quirks, all of them did nothing to damage Kirishima's perfect defence, instead they were little more than irritations to the teen, irritations that he would remove swiftly and decisively. While Kirishima's Quirk gave him a near-perfect defence, it was far from the only thing he was capable of; rock-hard punches and kicks lashed out towards any villain that made the mistake of getting too close to the teen, and the brutal strikes sent them reeling in pain and shock. In simple terms, Bakugo was an unstoppable force, and Kirishima was an immovable object, and anybody that tried to stand up to either of them was promptly pushed aside into the dirt._

_Contrary to his counterparts, Hanta Sero utilised his mobility and Quirk to become a target that was impossible for the villains to even hit, punches and Quirks flew wildly off target as the teen weaved deftly between the strikes and projectiles. The high buildings of the Conflagration Zone were perfect for Sero to use his tape Quirk on, as he would be able to swing and spin at great heights by attaching his tape to the high buildings and swinging between them, making it near impossible for his foes to hit him._

_Despite his skill in evasion and manoeuvre, Sero was far from a passive observer in the fight, and any enemies that made this assumption swiftly paid for their overconfidence. Sero wasn't well suited from extended encounters, instead he used his superior movement to utilise hit-and-run tactics whenever he was close enough to his foes, kicking unaware villains as he swung over them before darting safely out of range again, before repeating the entire process again. Sero was also able to utilise his Quirk to immobilise his enemies as well, and any villains that wasn't paying close attention to his movements would find themselves rapidly restrain by Sero's tape; once the villain was restrained, Sero would either knock them out himself, or more commonly throw them into the path of his two classmates, where they were then quickly dispatched._

_Kirishima saw the work that his two classmates were putting in against the villains, and he couldn't help but grin when he saw that his fellow students were faring just as well against the group of villains as he was. As he looked around, a villain blindsided him with a well-aimed but poorly thought out punch to the face. As the attacker clutched his wounded hand in pain, Kirishima grabbed him by his shift and delivered a swift and brutal hardened headbutt to the villain, who was knocked cold by the attack._

_Kirishima knew that they weren't out of the woods yet, the villains had numbers on their side, and there were still many of them left to fight. Despite this, he knew that they were in with a good chance of walking away from this fight with a victory, even if it took more time. His mind drifted briefly to his classmates that were doubtless stuck in other areas of the USJ, fighting similar battles to the one he was currently embroiled in. He could only hope that they were faring as well as he was, but he couldn't afford to linger on thinking of others for now, no matter how dire their situation might be._

_Kirishima would have to trust in the rest of his class and their capabilities to come out on top, for now, he had his own battles to win._

* * *

_Tsuyu Asui was a fairly calm and collected person, somebody who showed little emotion or stress in even the most dire circumstances. To anybody who didn't know her well, it would seem that she just didn't really care for anything, and many even found her constant blank expressions and nonplussed reactions to be off-putting. Despite this, she still considered her stoicism to be an important part of her personality, as well as something that would serve her well as a hero one day._

_Despite this emotional levelness that she prided herself on, Asui had to admit that even she was caught off guard by being suddenly teleported away from her classmates by a villain that appeared to be made of black fog. She was even more surprised and unnerved when the confusion of the fog cleared, only to leave her with the sensation of falling, which briefly left her breathless._

_She was relieved when she landed, not just because she had landed, but because of where she had landed. Water cushioned her fall and enveloped her completely, and she realised that she must have been dropped into some kind of lake or pool. Water was comforting to Asui, her Quirk performed best in underwater or water-heavy areas, and her biology meant that she was well suited to these environments on a personal level as well. Among over things, her Quirk gave her the ability to breathe underwater, something that had proved invaluable in several situations, including her current dilemma._

_While Asui was highly comfortable and well-suited to her current environment, that didn't do much to dissuade the feeling of dread at the situation she found herself in. Villains had attacked UA and claimed that they were there to kill All Might, then they had sent Asui to wherever she was, this turn of events didn't sit well with her at all._

_She was shook from her thoughts by a rather strange sight, one that she was only able to faintly make out, though she swam closer to clarify what she was seeing. Izuku Midoriya and Denki Kaminari were floating in the water as well, assumedly having been sent there by the same fog villain that had sent Asui there as well. Worse, there was a figure that Asui could barely make out approaching the duo from below, though they seemed to be oblivious to the threat that was creeping up on them. As she drew closer to her stranded classmates, she could see that the figure was some kind of villain, intent on attacking her classmates, this became even clearer when she saw the large knife clutched in his hand, and the cruel smile that plastered the villain's face._

_At this sight, Asui spurred herself into action, using her Quirk and proficiency in aquatic environments to rapidly close the distance between her and the underwater assailant. The duo finally seemed to notice the attacker, and Asui pushed herself forwards every harder, intent on stopping the villain before Kaminari activated his Quirk in panic and fried all four of them. Luckily for her, the villain clearly hadn't expected one of his targets to be so well adapted to underwater environments; so he was caught totally off guard when she delivered a powerful double kick to the villain's chest, her Quirk-enhanced legs amplifying the impact and sending the villain spiralling away into the depths of the water._

_Kaminari and Midoriya both looked towards Asui in surprise, having just seen the villain appear, only to be knocked away by her seconds later. As both of her classmates stared at her, she couldn't help but say something._

_"Ribbit."_

_With that, Asui used her tongue to pull the pair to the surface, her powerful swimming technique pushing the three through the water with ease. Once she had surfaced she saw a large boat sitting in the middle of the water, and promptly deposited her two classmates on the deck of the ship with her tongue. With once last check of the water around her, she used her Quirk to climb up the side of the boat, joining her fellow students on the large vessel._

_While the pair of them caught their breath, Asui took in her surroundings, interested to see exactly where she had ended up being sent by the fog villain. To her surprise, she was still inside the USJ, having been warped to the very zone she was planning on training in only a few minutes ago. If she squinted, she could see some kind of commotion occurring in the centre of the USJ, something that could only be attributed to Mr. Aizawa, who she had last seen fighting villains in that area._

_When her two classmates had started breathing normally, Asui filled them in on what she had noticed, and the pair seemed surprised by the fact that they were still in the USJ. Kaminari leaned over the edge of the boat to try and judge the distance from the boat to the edge of the area, and while he had declared it to be easily swimmable, something appeared that suddenly knocked the confidence right out of Kaminari._

_Kaminari could seemingly only point over the edge of the ship and stutter, whatever he had seen had clearly knocked the ability to speak out of him as well. Asui and Midoriya walked towards the edge of the ship to look at whatever had caused Kaminari such distress, and what they saw clearly validated their classmates' reaction. At least two dozen villains surrounded the ship, eyes fixed on the ship and faces twisted with various cruel and mocking expressions. Among them, Asui could even see the villain she had kicked away earlier, and his gaze was fixed directly on her. All of the villains seemingly boasted some kind of water-based Quirk or at least one that gave them proficiency in the water, and they were clearly waiting for their prey to come to them._

_Asui and Midoriya backed away from the edge of the boat and re-joined Kaminari, who was seemingly recovered from his sudden shock. The three of them stood beside each other in silence for several seconds, none of them wanting to be the one that broke the silence around them._

_"We need to figure out a plan." Asui deadpanned, trying to spur some conversation and planning from her two classmates._

_"They're probably going to wait for us to come to them." Midoriya said, eyes glazed in deep thought "But they'll run out of patience soon enough."_

_"It would be easier if we knew each other's Quirks." Asui muttered, trying to formulate a strategy that would get them out of their current situation._

_The trio summarised their Quirks in brief but detailed descriptions to each other, doing their best to highlight their most prominent strengths and weaknesses. Asui's Frog Form, Kaminari's Electrification and Midoriya's Superpower, these were the three powers that they had at their disposal, and they had to formulate a plan without ever having worked together before._

_In Asui's opinion there was a glaring weakness in their team, both Kaminari and Midoriya had incredibly powerful Quirks, and both of them were able to unleash massive destructive power. Unfortunately they both suffered a similar weakness, lack of control over their power, as well as destructive drawbacks from overusing their power, or even just using it in Midoriya's case. Their strategy would have to be perfect and able to defeat the villains in a single move, otherwise Asui would be left alone with a crippled Midoriya and a 'brain fried' Kaminari, and neither of them would likely be much use against an angry group of villains._

_"I think I have something." Midoriya spoke up, drawing Asui and Kaminari's attention "It's risky, but if we pull it off we should be able to walk away without any major injuries."_

_"Well then!" Kaminari suddenly sounded excited and upbeat, a stark contrast to his earlier mood "Let's hear it."_

_"First off, Asui, could you-"_

_"Call me Tsu." Asui cut in, her expression not shifting in the slightest._

_"Right, Tsu." Midoriya stammered slightly before continuing "Is your jump strong enough to carry all three of us?"_

_"It should be, ribbit." Asui confirmed, now intensely interested in whatever it was that Midoriya was going to suggest._

_"Great, Kaminari." Midoriya switched to facing his other classmate "I know you said that your brain gets zapped if you discharge electricity at range, but is your limit better when you aren't releasing it?"_

_"Well, yeah." Kaminari confirmed, his face twisted slightly in what seemed to be embarrassment "But I'd need to touch whatever it was you wanted me to shock."_

_With that confirmation, Midoriya's speech descended into a frantic mumble, his words seemed to be moving at a million miles an hour, but his voice was barely even audible to Asui and Kaminari. He kept doing this for a minute or so, somehow speaking even faster while Kaminari and Asui watched in a mixture of confusion and disbelief. The pair glanced to each other, seemingly to confirm that they were both experiencing the same thing._

_"Uh… Midoriya?" Kaminari muttered, seemingly unsure of exactly how to cut into Midoriya's speech. "You alright over there?"_

_Midoriya looked up suddenly, he seemed to be noticing the pair's presence for the first time._

_"Oh! Sorry!" Midoriya's face suddenly turned a bright red, and his eyes flickered around as if trying to escape the embarrassment of doing… whatever that was._

_"Mind sharing whatever that was?" Kaminari asked, clearly confused by Midoriya's actions._

_"Right." Midoriya leaned in, and Asui and Kaminari mirrored the action "This was my plan."_

_The plan sounded strange at first, and seemed to completely fly in the face of logic and self-preservation. But as Midoriya explained it further, the logic of the plan became evident, and Kaminari was grinning from ear to ear by the end of it._

_"I'm in." He announced_

_"Ribbit."_

_The trio stood up and readied themselves to execute the scheme. Asui wrapped her tongue around Kaminari and grasped Midoriya in her arms, checking she had a secure grip she nodded to her two fellows, who confirmed their own readiness in return. Asui crouched down and then leapt into the air, sending the trio flying into the air far above the lake full of villains._

_As soon as the villains saw what was going on, they all gave chase, quickly grouping themselves into one large pack that pursued the three young heroes with impressive speed. This was exactly what Midoriya had predicted, and as soon as he saw that all the villains were grouped together, he executed the next part of his plan. He extended his arm and rolled his index finger into his thumb, as if he was about to flick something; Midoriya concentrated the power of One For All into his fingertip, and as soon as he felt that power reach its full strength, he flicked the finger outwards._

_The shockwave that emanated from his fingertip shot forwards at impressive speed, and the concussive wave of air pressure slammed into the water and the group of villains, pulling them into the centre of the impact while sending a massive column of water straight into the air._

_This was Kaminari's signal, and Asui had held him out perfectly to fly alongside the pillar of water. Kaminari's right hand flashed with electricity, the strength of the current perfectly regulated to shock the villains without doing any real damage beyond knocking them out. As soon as Kaminari's outstretched hand made contact with the water, crackling arcs of electricity travelled through the water at near-instantaneous speed. The flashing lightning struck the villains, sending shocks through their systems and causing muscle spasms and twitches to affect all of the villains. Soon enough all of the villains were rendered unconscious by the combined effects of the impact from One For All and the shock from Electrification._

_"Are you guys alright?" Kaminari asked, his mental faculties clearly still intact._

_"I'm OK." Midoriya called out through gritted teeth, his finger was broken but he was clearly otherwise unharmed._

_"Ribbit." Asui said by way of an answer._

_As their jump began to descend, Asui's mind wandered to her three closest friends at UA: Tokoyami, Shoji and Shinso. She could only hope that the three of them were alright, and that they were succeeding against the villains that they were surely facing._

* * *

_Shoto Todoroki had been trained by his father since he was able to walk, and he was sure his bastard father would have trained him even before that if he could have. While he was constantly enraged and resentful of the man that had 'raised' him, and as such he had sworn to only use the half of his Quirk he had inherited from his mother, he couldn't deny that the training he had undergone had its uses._

_As such, when he was transported into some kind of rocky environment by the villain that had attacked the USJ, he had caught wind of his situation almost instantly. When the fog cleared and he saw himself alone and surrounded by a dozen or so villains, he was undeniably surprised, but he was well trained enough to react almost instantaneously._

_Before the villains could even move towards him or activate their Quirks, he unleashed the power of his right side, sending waves and waves of ice outwards in every direction. Such an act might have staggered and shocked anyone else, but such a feat was as easy and natural to him as drawing breath, and he barely even felt tired by the amount of ice he had just produced._

_The ice quickly engulfed all of his opponents within moments, freezing them solid and stopping any movement or attack before they even realised what was occurring. Todoroki only stopped producing ice when he was sure that every villain nearby was totally incapacitated, and only then did he pause in using his Quirk. It was a fairly inconsequential amount for him to produce, and as such he thankfully didn't have to rely on his left side to stop himself from freezing up._

_Only then did Todoroki take stock of his surroundings, realising that he was still within the confines of the training centre that he had gone to with the rest of his class. This was a little unusual, as he had expected the fog villain to send him much further afield, but it was of little concern to him in the end. He simply concluded that the fog villain must have been too weak to send him any further away._

_He also idly wondered where the rest of his class had ended up, as none of them were in sight to him, so they couldn't be in the same zone as him. Was he the only one who had been teleported away? Or had he simply been left alone in an area by random chance? All of these questions and more poured through his mind, and he sorted through them with the kind of cold and logical efficiency that he had been trained to think with. He hated having to rely on his father's methods to get anything done, but he grudgingly admitted that they were useful for this situation, even if they reminded him of his father._

_One question stood out to Todoroki above all the others, how did these fools think that they were going to take out All Might with such a poor showing of force. While it was true that he had frozen his opponents before they had a chance to attack him, he could tell simply by observing them that they were massively underprepared for a task as titanic and seemingly insurmountable as killing the number 1 hero. The villains that were frozen around him were clearly low-level thugs and petty thieves, the kind of criminals that would be dealt with by regular police, completely below the notice of pro heroes. The only notable specimen was the fog-like villain that had teleported him to this area, but even he couldn't do a single thing to All Might, a warping Quirk would be of little use against the symbol of peace._

_Todoroki knew that he needed more information before he could figure out his plan of action, and although there were several ways for him to gain such information, the most obvious was questioning the trapped villains that were still frozen around him. With that thought in his mind he turned towards the ice-covered figures, and slowly walked towards them, ice cracking underfoot with each step he took._

_The villains had been taken totally by surprise, and they were left as frozen statues scattered amongst the Mountain Zone, able to do nothing but observe the child that had so easily stopped them all. The villains had been told that they would be facing first-year students, the newest initiates to UA with a scant few weeks of training under their belt. While this statement still appeared to be technically true, it had grossly underplayed just how powerful these students would be._

_The villains closest to the boy watched as he turned away from his observation of the training area, and stared straight at them, an ice-cold glare shot from his one visible eye, shocking the villains into stunned silence. They watched as the boy paced towards them, a look of cold dispassion etched onto his feature._

_"Now." The boy muttered, catching the eye of everyone he had trapped "Tell me everything you know about your plan today."_

_The villains were chilled by the actions of the young boy, seeing nothing but dispassionate focus in his eyes._

* * *

_Author's Note_

_This is a double Chapter day, so there's another one waiting for you today, and all my notes will be at the end of that one._

_Enjoy!_


	18. Chapter 18- The USJ Incident: Part 6

Chapter 18- The USJ Incident: Part 6

* * *

_Fumikage Tokoyami recovered almost instantly as he fell through the portal that the fog villain had created and then sent him through. He was initially disorientated by the sudden sensation of being moved, but he managed to get his bearings quite quickly and start taking in his surroundings._

_He must have been within the Squall Zone of the USJ, as he was within a large fake city that was battered with pouring rain. The entire area was covered by a large metal dome that was faintly blue in colour, which matched one of the domes he had seen from the entrance to the USJ. It was a relief to see that he was still within the confines of UA, as he feared that the villain may have attempted to send him further afield, and completely cut him off from his fellow students._

_As the rain battered his cloak, Tokoyami felt somewhat grateful for his choice of hero costume, as it at least insulated him from the worst of the torrent he was currently experiencing. Tokoyami saw no option other than to move through the Squall Zone until he found more students or the exit to the area, preferably the latter, as even a creature of darkness like himself didn't enjoy getting soaked to the bone._

_Speaking of creatures of darkness…_

_"Dark Shadow." Tokoyami called out, summoning his familiar. _

_He kept his voice lower than he would normally, just to avoid any unwanted attention from villains or anyone else that might have been lurking in the buildings. The inky-black mass emerged from under Tokoyami's cloak, the tendril twisted and coalesced into the familiar avian shape that had been Tokoyami's constant companion since it had appeared when he was merely four years old. Dark Shadow was almost like a sibling to Tokoyami, and the constant presence of the sentient Quirk was one that he had come to rely on through the years, as it was the one companion he could always rely on. Though Dark Shadow would sometimes be unruly or run wild, Tokoyami was still immensely grateful for his power._

_"Don't worry! I'm here to rescue-" Dark Shadow's announcement was cut short when it realised where it was, and upon this realisation it turned around to face it's master "Where the hell are we?"_

_"Villains have attacked UA." Tokoyami muttered, taking a far more direct manner of speech than normal due to the urgency of his situation "We've been teleported to this part of the USJ."_

_"Crap." The bird-shadow whispered, shrinking slightly at the sudden and uncomfortable revelation "What do we do?"_

_"We're looking for either other members of the class or the exit out of this damned place." Tokoyami started walking through the rain again, realising he was only going to get more and more drenched the longer he stood still "I need you to keep an eye out for either other students or villains, if you see anybody let me know."_

_"Got it!" The familiar barked, giving a mock salute with a wing-like appendage before rising a few metres above Tokoyami and looking around the area._

_Tokoyami made quick progress through the area now that Dark Shadow was watching his back, he felt far comfortable advancing through the area when he knew that his Quirk was looking out for him as well. The pair walked through several streets without seeing anyone or anything that could lead them out of the area or towards some fellow students. Tokoyami was growing slightly agitated, and it seemed at times like he was walking around in circles, not making any progress towards his objective at all. He was a few seconds away from simply asking Dark Shadow to punch a hole in the roof of the building when the familiar spoke up first, catching his master's attention._

_"Do you hear that?" It asked, lowering itself to level it's gaze with Tokoyami's._

_"All I can hear is this damned rain." He muttered, pulling his cloak tighter over his shoulders to better ward off the cold._

_"Listen closer… there's something going on." The familiar was insistent, and Tokoyami obliged it, desperate for any way out of the loop he was seemingly stuck in._

_For a few seconds he couldn't hear anything, and he was about to scold Dark Shadow for playing jokes on him at such an important time when his ears began to pick up the slightest sounds, sounds that differed from the rain enough to be distinct, but not close enough to be audible. If he focused enough, there were slight sounds of battle and confrontation, the dull thumps and sharp sounds indicating Quirk usage, and the fact that he didn't recognise any of the Quirk sounds meant that they were likely being produced by some of the villains that currently infested UA._

_Roughly detecting the direction the sound was coming from, Tokoyami dashed off towards the source of the noise, Dark Shadow hovered right over him, still keeping a vigilant watch for any potential threats that could assail the pair. The streets of the Squall zone were set out in a grid pattern that was meant to resemble the streets of any real life city, and like these cities there were various alleyways that allowed for quicker navigation towards a specific point._

_Tokoyami ran through these side streets and alleyways with speed and purpose, the dull thumps and splashes that his footsteps produced being drowned out by the incessant noise of the artificial rain. Tokoyami was aware that these darkened and narrow streets were the ideal location for an ambush, and it was possible that villains were laying in wait for him to step past a certain shadowed corner or darkened crevice. Despite this danger he kept moving as quickly as he could, knowing that any delay in his arrival would put whoever was currently fighting with the villains in even more peril, and so he pressed onwards._

_The sounds were steadily growing louder and more clear, and Tokoyami pursued them with dogged determination, fully intent on finding whatever was making the noise. It soon became clear that the sounds were those of combat, most likely between some of his fellow students and the villains that had assailed the USJ. At this revelation Tokoyami broke into a full sprint, now fully aware that any delay in arriving at his destination could be dangerous for his fellow students._

_As Tokoyami rounded another corner onto a new street, he soon found the source of the noise, Mashirao Ojiro and Koji Koda were present in this area as well, and they were encircled by a large group of villains. The villains were tentatively engaged in close combat with the pair, but Ojiro's martial arts skill and Tail Quirk combined with Koda's surprising strength was keeping the group at bay. Despite this, the pair were struggling with the sheer amount of villains that they were faced with, but they still held fast against the enemies arrayed against them._

_Even at a glance Tokoyami could see that the situation the pair was in was unsustainable, the villains were hesitant for now, but if they all pushed forwards at once they would be able to overwhelm the two students with relative ease, defeating them by utilising their overwhelming numbers. It was clear that no villain could match up to either student individually, particularly Ojiro, who weaved his Quirk seamlessly into his martial arts. But the villains would get wise soon enough, and Ojiro and Koda were doubtlessly aware of that fact._

_Fortunately enough, Tokoyami had no intention of letting the villains wise up or formulate a plan, he would take them on before they had a chance to overwhelm his fellow students. He mentally commanded Dark Shadow to grow to a greater size before sprinting towards the group of villains that had surrounded Ojiro and Koda. His black cloak billowed out behind him, and the pitch-black abyss that was Dark Shadow grew and grew in his wake, until the being loomed over its master like a guardian from the abyss itself._

_By the time the first villains had noticed Tokoyami's approach, it was far too late for them to mount a meaningful defence or form a counter to Dark Shadow. The first villain that turned around and saw the beast had barely uttered half a warning before the beast had picked him up in one of its shadowy claws and hurled the villain back to the ground, knocking him cold in an instant._

_With such a sudden and brutal attack, Dark Shadow was bound to get noticed, and the majority of villains in the group turned to face the being that had seemingly appeared from the shadows itself. There was a beat of silence before the villains reacted, with half a dozen Emitter-type Quirk users hurling various projectiles towards the great beast. Dark Shadow batted all of the attacks away with a single motion of one of its limbs, barely even noticing the attacks._

_After deflecting or simply absorbing dozens and dozens of projectiles, Dark Shadow went on the offensive, roaring in fury before setting into the group of villains. One by one they were dispatched by Dark Shadow, who simply picked the villains up before inevitably throwing them back to the ground, the sheer strength of Dark Shadow knocking the villains cold instantly. At one point, a single swing of Dark Shadow's limb swept three villains into a nearby wall, such an act of pure strength seemed impossible to these villains, but it was little more than a sweep of the arm to Dark Shadow._

_Ojiro and Koda took advantage of the villains switching their attention away from them, and they launched an offensive of their own. Koda wasn't overly specialised in close combat, instead focusing on using animals to swing fights into his favour. Despite this, he still possessed a strong build and had some basic combat training, so he was able to take out the distracted villains well enough._

_Ojiro was something else entirely, it was clear to Tokoyami that he had trained almost exclusively in the art of close combat, and he had come up with a martial arts style that suited his unique anatomy, allowing him to mix regular punches and kicks in with strikes from his tail. This fighting style was applied to devastating affect against the villains, who's clumsy strikes and grabs were no match for Ojiro's well practised and highly efficient combat technique._

_Tokoyami couldn't help but think of the footage he had seen of Shinso fighting Shoji, and he made a mental note to mention Ojiro's prowess to Shinso, would who doubtless want to learn from and spar with Ojiro._

_Soon enough the villains were all knocked out, having been taken completely by surprise by the sudden arrival of Tokoyami and Dark Shadow, as well as the counter from Koda and Ojiro. The three nodded to each other in acknowledgement and recognition, and they all took a few seconds to catch their breath. _

_Even as Dark Shadow shrunk itself back to a more manageable size, Tokoyami could make out the indistinct shapes of another crowd of villains making their way towards the trio, undoubtably drawn towards the fight by the noise that Dark Shadow produced. As the villains rounded the corner of the street and caught sight of the trio of students, Tokoyami readied himself for the next round of combat against the villains that assailed UA._

_It seemed like the battle wasn't over yet…_

* * *

_Mezo Shoji was fiercely protective of those that he considered to be friends, and he would do almost anything to keep people out of harm's way. This was a trait he had held since he was a child, and he knew that it was an important personality trait for any aspiring hero to have, and so he did his best to live up to this ideal of heroism. Though he had only really gotten to know a few members of Class 1A well, he already knew that he would do his best to keep all of his class from danger. His large frame and naturally intimidating appearance would scare people off sometimes, but to others it was a comforting presence, and he hoped that the people he served as a hero would come to see him in the latter way._

_That said, he hadn't expected to have to protect his classmates so soon, and he was almost certain that no danger would come to them during a rescue training exercise, at least nothing more severe than tripping on a rock or something else inconsequential. All of these perceptions and more were being torn away as villains were attacking the USJ, and the safety of everyone in the class was suddenly at risk._

_The shadowy villain that had issued such dire warnings towards the students of UA, before declaring that the group was going to kill All Might was hanging in the air around them, with every student gazing up at the villain. In an instant, the villain's ethereal body expanded outwards, engulfing Shoji's vision in complete darkness, with only the blurry and indistinct shapes of his classmates being visible to him, though only barely. The darkness was so thick and intense that even switching his limbs into eyes did almost nothing to pierce the gloom, so Shoji was left in utter darkness._

_Suddenly an intense and vicious wind started to buffer Shoji, and he was forced to one knee just to prevent himself from being blow backwards. As he looked around, he could see the shapes of his classmates vanishing one by one, as if they were suddenly removed from existence in an instant. Shoji's eyes opened wide in panic, and he reflexively extended his arms to reach for the two shapes closest to him, pulling them towards him in an attempt to shield them from the intensifying gale. The two students he had grabbed were Ochaco Uraraka and Mina Ashido, and without hesitation he pulled them closer to him, trying to shield them from whatever was affecting the rest of the class._

_Somehow, Shoji heard Shinso's voice call out over the storm, and although he couldn't make out any words he deduced that his friend must have been trying to Brainwash the villain and end the attack right there and then. To Shoji's dismay the villain didn't respond, and he looked around frantically towards the direction that Shinso's voice had come from. As he searched through the fog he was able to see various students disappearing into the fog as the wind intensified, their fog-covered outlines blinking out of sight one-by-one._

_There was a brief gap in the fog that allowed Shoji to see his friend, arms held in front of his face as he stood braced against the wind. His purple hair was being swept back by the sheer force of the villain's power and his eyes were narrowed in an expression of pure concentration, the capture tools that Shinso wore were barely clinging to his arms, and only Shinso's grip prevented his favoured weapon being swept away from him. It seemed for a moment that Shinso would be able to stand against the wind, and Shoji extended an arm towards his friend before he was swept away by the villain's power, Shoji knew that he would be able to keep Shinso from being swept away if only he was able to grab him. He was too late though, and Shoji could only watch as the fog thickened again and Shinso's blurry outline disappeared, the shifting fog claiming yet another student._

_Shoji was dismayed at his own failure, but he knew he had to focus on protecting the two classmates he had managed to grab before they were swept away like the others. He could only hope that his fellow students were moved or otherwise safe, even if they were out of his reach for now. Shoji knew that he could trust his fellows to handle themselves, but he needed to do the same._

_The gale somehow got even stronger, and Shoji laid down to reduce the amount of drag being inflicted on his body. He covered Ashido and Uraraka with his arms, hoping to reduce the force that they were facing as well. Shoji could do little more than duck his head and try to resist the force of the wind, hoping that the storm would eventually pass._

_It seemed like he was there for an eternity, doing little more than waiting for the wind to stop while ensuring that neither of his fellow classmates fell out of his iron grip. Then, suddenly, the gale ended just as suddenly as it had begun, and the all-encompassing darkness began to recede, replaced with the white floors of the USJ. _

_Shoji was almost afraid to stand up, as if the retreat was only a feign by the fog villain to get him to lower his guard, and it would suddenly return to sweep him away. As soon as he was sure that the coast was clear, Shoji stood, glancing from side to side to check if anybody else had resisted the experience of the fog._

_The plaza was almost empty, the only other occupant was Thirteen, who was resting on one knee, her whole body shaking as she caught her breath. Beside Shoji, Ashido and Uraraka stood, both looking around the area before turning their gaze towards Shoji._

_"Thanks Shoji." Uraraka said, her voice still shaky from the experience of the fog._

_"Yeah, that was a good save!" Ashido almost yelled, her voice loud and jubilant. Shoji suspected that she was just using joy to conceal her own fear, but he wasn't going to judge her for having her own coping mechanism, so he didn't say anything._

_Shoji just nodded, knowing it was important to serve as an emotional anchor in times like this, but he was inwardly grateful for the praise from his classmates._

_"Good." Thirteen panted, pulling herself to her feet, and shakily making her way towards the three students "Some of you managed to hold on."_

_"What was that?" Uraraka asked, her gaze still darting around as if searching for her missing classmates._

_"I don't know for sure." Thirteen replied, turning towards the rest of the USJ "But I think it might be some kind of transportation Quirk."_

_"So everyone else might be OK?" Ashido asked, her tone sounding genuinely upbeat this time, the hope that her classmates were still alive and well raising her spirits "They've just been transported?"_

_"We have to hope so…" Thirteen muttered, sounding like she was in a dark mood "Shoji, can you try and detect if anyone else is in the USJ besides us and the group fighting with Eraserhead?"_

_Shoji nodded in assent before making his way towards the top of the stairs the led to the rest of the USJ, as he knew that it would serve as a better vantage point. Shoji's arms all extended upwards and outwards, and he turned them into eyes and ears, trying his hardest to detect the presence of his classmates._

_There were several seconds of silence as Shoji focused, adjusting the position of his Dupli-arms to best detect sound and see his classmates. Soon enough, he managed to zone into several sources of sound, as well as using his enhanced sight to zoom his vision into the furthest reaches of the USJ._

_He recognised the distinctly distorted vocal tones of Shinso's mask, though the fact that it was being used at all was cause for concern, and it likely meant that Shinso was either fighting villains or trying to Brainwash them. Sure enough, Shoji's eyes were able to pick out the faint form on Shinso surrounded by a crowd of villains that he had engaged in combat, and by the sounds that Shoji could pick up, he was engaged in a brutal melee fight with dozens of enemies. Shoji wished that he could help his friend in his fight, but he was too far away to make any difference in the battle, and he had his own job to do._

_Shoji's observations of the rest of the USJ revealed similar situations throughout the rest of the building, with a student or students surrounded by a much larger group of villains. Almost all of the groups were fighting in some capacity, and those that weren't would surely begin at any moment._

_Shoji turned back to Thirteen and his two fellow students and relayed all of this information back towards the three of them. _

_"Well, it's good to know that everyone is still present in the USJ at least." Thirteen said, before turning to face Uraraka "Uraraka, I need you to leave the USJ and make your way back to UA, alert all of the teachers and bring them here, as quickly as you can."_

_"But!" Uraraka protested "I can't just leave you all here!"_

_"**I agree.**" A deep and bass-filled voice whispered, "**I must insist that you all remain here, we can't have you compromising our well-laid plans.**"_

_Thirteen and the three students looked up to see the form of the fog villain that had scattered the rest of the students throughout the USJ. The villain was hovering above the group, who had all assumed that the villain had left, instead it seemed that he was simply lying in wait, ready to strike again._

_Thirteen reacted first, stretching a finger towards the villain and unleashing her Black Hole Quirk on the villain once again, intent on trapping him correctly this time._

_It seemed that the villain had anticipated this though, as two portals suddenly materialised, one in front of Thirteen and one behind. Before Thirteen even realised what was happening, the destructive force of her Quirk was unleashed upon her own body, tearing the space suit she wore to shreds and sending her to the ground._

_There was a moment of stunned silence as the three students processed what they had just seen, a Pro Hero and a UA teacher, defeated in an instant by a villain that was attacking UA. Their minds were all filled with concern for their classmates, as the villains that were attacking them suddenly seemed far more dangerous to the trio. The fog villain almost instantly recovered his composure once he had been release from the grasp of Thirteen's Quirk, and it seemed that his incorporeal body had taken no real damage from almost being consumed by Black Hole._

_Knowing that they had to keep the villain at bay, the three launched an attack at the abyssal mass. Their strikes were utterly ineffective, as they simply passed through the villain as if he wasn't even there. After a few moments the villain floated upwards again, bringing itself out of the reach of the UA students._

_The group of three students struggled with the villain for what felt like several minutes, each of them made their own attempts to capture or even just hit their smoke-like foe. The villains seemed fairly content to simply sit back and evade the desperate attacks of the students, throwing the occasional taunt or threat their way on occasion._

_Ashido was creating small amounts of acid that she would then launch towards the villain with impressive accuracy, not that it really mattered, as any of the acid that found its target would simply pass straight through the villain's unusual body, landing on the floor below and gently sizzling. Ashido was keeping up her attacks for an impressive period of time, but it was clear that she was reaching her limit, and her speed and accuracy was beginning to wane. Ashido's Acid would also begin to damage her skin if she continued to produce large quantities of it for a long period of time_

_Uraraka employed a similar projectile-based plan of attack, picking up small rocks and pieces of debris, using her Quirk on them and then flinging them towards the villain. Though it was a seemingly basic plan, it worked far better than one would suspect, as Zero Gravity would cause the rocks to gain impressive amounts of speed and fly with pinpoint accuracy. Once again, the projectiles simply passed through the villain, impacting the wall behind the foggy mass._

_Shoji had created a mass of eyes on the end of his Dupli-Arms, desperately probing for a weakness, though to no avail so far. He was about to give up and join the attack when he saw one of the pebbles that Uraraka had thrown bounce off of something inside the void, then fly back at a different angle rather than flying through the villain. Shoji focused his eyes onto the area that Uraraka had made contact with, and after almost a minute of continued observation he finally saw what he was looking for._

_A flash of silver in a purple abyss, it was brief, and it was tiny, but it was exactly what Shoji was looking for. It seemed that the villain did have some kind of physical body, It was just hidden by the fog that made up the majority of it's being. _

_Shoji called out for the two students to stop throwing things, he didn't much like the idea of getting hit by a high speed rock or acid with what he was about to do. Before the villain realised what he was planning, Shoji leapt towards the area that he knew the silver shape was hiding in and opened his arms wide, unsure of the size of the item he was grasping for._

_"Got It!" Shoji called out as he felt his arms grasp the large metal cylinder that seemed to contain the villain's physical body. It was larger than he had suspected, but he had a solid grip on the thing, and he transformed all of his limbs into hands to improve his hold on the object._

_As soon as he had made contact with the villain's body he could feel the shadowy tendrils of fog writhe and grasp against his grip, but he tensed his muscles even more and set his grip, intent on keeping the villain trapped for as long as he could. The tendrils were able to produce an impressive amount of force, and Shoji was struggling to keep his hold on the metal object as it rattled around in his iron grip. Despite his foggy body, it seemed that the villain was bound to the metal cylinder in some way, as he was clearly unable to move from the container, with only thin wisps of fog now being visible outside of the cylinder._

_"Uraraka!" He called out, a grunt of exertion escaping his mouth "GO! NOW!"_

_Uraraka gave one last look over her shoulder before wrenching the door to the USJ open and running out, shouting promises over her shoulder that she would return soon with help. The pathway back to the main site of UA was long and winding, but Uraraka still sprinted down the pathway as quickly as she could manage, thoughts of her classmates spurring her onwards._

_As soon as Uraraka was out of sight, Shoji breathed a sigh of relief, and he set his arms to try and keep hold of the villains for as long as possible, as he knew every second would be important. He could see Ashido checking the prone form of Thirteen in the corner of his eye, though he didn't dare move for fear of losing his grip. Despite the fact that the villain's foggy body seemed to be totally incorporeal, he still felt the metal cylinder he held shifting and twisting in his grasp, and it produced surprise force for it's compact size. Even Shoji's impressive strength and strong grip was failing him, and he knew that he would be unable to hold the villain in place for much longer._

_Soon after, Shoji could see Iida, Yaoyorozu, Mineta and Jiro arrive, discussing something that must have occurred elsewhere in the USJ, hopefully nothing that involved any of Shoji's classmates. Even though his grip on the villain was failing, he couldn't help but smile at their success in restraining the villain and letting Uraraka escape to alert the heroes, though nobody could see the expression on his face. Despite Shoji's best efforts, the villain's body gave one last titanic wrench of motion, And his grip finally failed, the villain flying away from the large student and hovering in the air. _

_Shoji thought that it might be wrong to feel elated in such a grim and desperate scenario, especially when the fates of so many of his classmates as well as his close friends were still unknown to him. Despite this feeling, the victory that they had pulled out from this terrible scenario was a great one, and Shoji allowed himself a small chuckle at how much they had managed to disrupt the villains plans._

_All that remained now was to endure the villain's invasion until help from UA arrived, and though that would still be difficult, it now seemed that there was light at the end of the tunnel. It wasn't an impossible task anymore, all they had to do was continue to endure._

_The villain's body returned to it's usual size and form, and for a moment he was completely still, appearing to simply be surveying the students below him. Shoji's fists tensed again, ready for a fight that he was sure would be coming, as he doubted that the villain would simply give up and leave without a fight. Eventually, the villain's eyes moved back towards the central plaza of the USJ, and a sound similar to a sigh emanated from the villain's body._

_"**It's over.**" The villain whispered to himself, his form already beginning to shrink and collapse into itself. The villain's abstract expression was both furious and remorseful, and he already knew what this meant for their mission "**She's gone to get the heroes, we've failed.**"_

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Another two chapters done, these ones showing what the rest of the class were doing during Shinso's adventures throughout the USJ. I liked being able to focus on different students for a change, and not just those that are part of Shinso's group, though I did enjoy writing for all 3 of them as well._

_Todoroki is difficult to write, especially this early in the series. He's very closed off and quiet, and his overwhelming power means he wouldn't get into any major challenges with the villains. Because of this, Todoroki's section of the story is the shortest, though I hope it was still enjoyable to read._

_Kirishima ended up being quite enjoyable to write, enough so that he's a candidate for more third-person sections in the future. I was undecided over whether or not to show that section of the USJ from Kirishima or Sero's perspective, but I think it worked out in the end. By the way, if you're wondering where that whole bit about Kirishima's old personality and middle school came from, it's something that is addressed in the manga, and it adds some nice depth to his character. It will most likely show up later in Season 4._

_Also yes, I still didn't put Aoyama or Hagakure anywhere in the USJ, as I'm sure they're missing in canon for a reason. Aoyama is kind of a joke character, so I think him being missing is a joke. On the other hand I'm fairly convinced that Hagakure is the UA traitor in canon, so I didn't want to put her anywhere in case that turns out to be true._

_Anyway, let's answer the reviews for yesterday's chapter:_

_Vilma Arnez: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the last chapter, thank you for waiting so patiently for it. I was annoyed to have to put a delay in, and hopefully it won't happen anymore, and definitely not for such a long period of time._

_Raven Mordrake: Thank you for the kind words. As I said above I was annoyed to have to delay yesterday's Chapter, but I'm feeling newly motivated and I'll make sure there won't be any more delays that last longer than a few days (and hopefully none at all)._

_Evergone the Great: First of all, thank you for the honest critique, it's incredibly helpful when it comes to improving my writing. I admit I may have written myself into a corner when it came to Shinso's confrontation with Shigaraki, as his character as I've written him would never abandon Aizawa, forcing him into confrontation. I've seen lots of different interpretations of Nomu, ranging from mindless drones to feral humans, and I struggled over this for a while. Eventually I ended up following the wiki, as it stated that Nomu is basically unable to think for itself, and only the High-End Nomu has shown any kind of intelligence. The All Might entrance was purely a style choice, and it was a way to get him to stop Nomu before he flattened Shinso. Thanks for the advice, and I hope you still enjoyed the Chapter._

_Roxas Itsuka: I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the chapter, and that you liked my depiction of Shinso. And as for All For One, you'll see in a few days…_

_StandupSitdown: Thank you for the (very) extensive review, I've broken down my responses to make it easier to read:_

\- _The decisions to command Nomu and Shigaraki further would be more logical, but as you said he likely wasn't thinking completely clearly and was focused on helping Aizawa._

\- _On the subject of conflicting commands, I put in the delay for Nomu obeying commands from Shinso to show that it was a little unsure. As soon as it had been commanded by Shigaraki again, it likely wouldn't respond to Shinso._

\- _Shinso might realise that Nomu isn't really human anymore, but I don't see him trying to kill one, especially when he finds out that they used to be people who were forcefully transformed._

\- _The Hero Killer Arc Nomu will be a little different to this one, as they're already attacking and Shinso could only command this Nomu because it was standing still, so he had the opportunity._

\- _Shigaraki is an interesting character, and he likely won't be too thrilled with being outplayed by Shinso. That said, he gets his own development as the story continues, and the same trick might not work again._

\- _I'm happy to take more suggestions for Shinso's hero name, I've narrowed down the suggestions I've already received, but I'd love to hear your own ideas._

_Thank you for the review_

_Betacode79: Thank you for the review, I hope that you're enjoying the story. As you saw last Chapter, his old capture weapons got turned to dust by Shigaraki, and all the way back in Chapter 4 Aizawa said that the arm tools were more of a beginners version. The Internship Arc will see Shinso get kitted out with some new gear, and the neck capture weapon will likely be among the gear._

_Tomorrow we return to Shinso's perspective, and the USJ arc reaches its climactic conclusion. This is another double chapter, so you'll be getting twice the usual dosage of our favourite purple boy._

_Thanks again, see you all tomorrow._


	19. Chapter 19- The USJ Incident: Part 7

Chapter 19: The USJ Incident- Part 7

* * *

With his final declaration, All Might leapt into the fray, blurring past me and grasping the Nomu in a mighty tackle. The symbol of peace then leapt again, bringing the creature with him on his trip upwards, though it seemed to be flailing and trying to escape his grasp the whole time. The pair eventually landed near the centre of the USJ, and I realised that All Might must have gone there to keep the fighting away from me and the other students.

The explosive leap that All Might performed almost sent me falling to the ground right there, and it was only due to luck that I managed to keep my balance. Even from the distance I stood at, I could already see All Might and Nomu fighting, and the sheer strength and speed that was on display utterly baffled me. It was terrifying to see that the creature was not only still standing after several punches from All Might, but that it was also throwing some back. No villain had ever resisted more than a few strikes from All Might, and they were usually totally incapacitated after a single punch, so seeing this villain absorb hits with little to no reaction to them was terrifying to say the least.

I could barely even keep up with the fight that was unfolding, the two participants moved with such ridiculous speed that at some points they seemed like little more than blurs of colour and motion, twirling around each other in a lethal display of power. The raw power of the two combatants was also staggering, and I could see the shockwaves produced by their punches even from my position far away from the action.

A groan of pain from Aizawa moved me away from watching the battle between the two titans, as impressive and enthralling as their battle was, I had my own responsibilities to deal with. I had to have faith that All Might would be able to beat the villain that had come to kill him, and that the symbol of peace would endure the wrath of the creature that had so brutally dispatched Aizawa. I told myself that no villain would be able to beat All Might, and no matter how strong or well prepared they claimed to be, he would always be able to overcome the challenge. But a small voice in the back of my mind was worried, not just for All Might but for everyone else in the USJ. These villains were clearly still confident in their ability to defeat the symbol of peace, and the Nomu creature almost seemed to be his equal in terms of pure physical prowess.

Despite my worries, All Might's fight was out of my control, and I had to focus on what I could do to help instead of watching a fight I couldn't do anything about. I turned from the battle and forced myself up the last of the stairs, the effort of each movement feeling strained and painful against my aching muscles. I finally reached the top of the infernal staircase, still somewhat annoyed that UA had decided to build something like that instead of an elevator. The sight that greeted me filled me with an exhausted sense of relief.

Shoji, Ashido, Iida, Yaoyorozu, Jiro and Mineta.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I realised that not only had the group I had split from made it to the exit unharmed, but that Shoji and Ashido were also largely unharmed. All Might had said that Uraraka had warned him of what was going on, so she must have made it out alright as well. Though it was a far cry from the whole class, the knowledge that seven of my classmates had made it without any major injuries was a weight off of my mind. Aizawa had told me to help protect the class, and the fact that almost half of them were largely unharmed meant that I could take a measure of success from the day, even if eleven of them were still unaccounted for.

Speaking of Aizawa, I gently laid him on the ground, grateful to no longer be carrying his weight. The action must have caught the attention of the other students, as they all turned towards me.

"Shinso!" Ashido called out, drawing my attention away from my injured teacher "You made it!"

Her jubilant expression fell when she saw the state of Aizawa, and she jogged over to see his own injuries, followed by the rest of the students. Only then did I see the prone form of Thirteen, her spacesuit shredded open by some unknown force, she seemed not to be moving at all. I could see some stiches and bandages that had been used to try and heal Thirteen's form, presumably being placed there by Yaoyorozu in an attempt to try and treat the Pro's injuries.

The terrified and frantic voice of Ashido at the state of Aizawa's injuries washed over me, but the confusion and concern was visible in her expression. The rest of my classmates wore similar expressions, and they moved towards Aizawa tentatively, as if terrified of disturbing the injured Pro. Yaoyorozu moved away from Thirteen, apparently satisfied with the medical care she had provided for the moment.

Yaoyorozu then moved over to Aizawa and began to create bandages and other medical supplies, her hands moved deftly over our injured teacher, already working to treat his many injuries. Beside her were Ashido and Jiro, who were attentively following her instructions and working to stem Aizawa's bleeding. I knew that it would be better to get out of the way to avoid obstructing Yaoyorozu and my other classmates from tending to Aizawa.

I paced to the edge of the stairs and sat down, releasing a breath I didn't realise I had been holding and leaning back, trying my best to return my pulse to a steady rate. The feeling of adrenaline gradually faded from my body as I took in slow and deep breaths, returning my body to a somewhat calmer state. The injuries that I had been ignoring suddenly faded back into prominence, dull aches and sharp pains covering my body from the various attacks I had sustained. Thankfully, nothing seemed to be too serious, though I did have to wipe away a trickle of blood that was dripping from a cut on my forehead.

I noticed a large presence sit down at my side, and I turned to see the masked face of Shoji looking down at me, concern obvious in in his normally passive expression.

"You're injured." Shoji said, the blunt statement catching me off guard.

"It happens." I shrugged, looking back towards the USJ "It's nothing serious."

"If you say so." Shoji said, sounding thoroughly unconvinced.

We sat in silence for a moment, the commotion of Yaoyorozu working on Aizawa's wounds the only distraction from the clash of All Might and Nomu that was unfolding below us. The clash was immense, and it seemed that neither combatant had gained the upper hand yet, bringing me to the terrifying revelation that Nomu was actually matching All Might in sheer strength and destructive power.

As well as that, the majority of our class was still unaccounted for, and the thought of leaving them in a dangerous situation while I sat safely at the top of the USJ churned my stomach in disgust. Tokoyami and Tsu were amongst those who's situation was still unknown, they could still be fighting through villains or trapped in areas of the USJ, unable to escape the facility. I thought back to the day we had spent together, and how we had promised to look out for each other, and I knew it was time to make good on that promise.

"We need to go back." I said, feeling the drive to help return to my mind "There's still fighting to do."

Shoji sighed, and looked at the floor between his legs for a few seconds, seemingly in deep contemplation. I was expecting to get scolded by Shoji, and in truth I knew that he wouldn't be wrong to do so, caution would be wise in this scenario. But we still had to fight, even though All Might had taken the field the rest of our classmates were still in danger, and we needed to help them. As well as that, the villain's proclamation that they were there to kill All Might still rang in my mind, and I was certain now that Nomu was the creature designed for such an action. I might not have the power to challenge the creature, but I couldn't just stand by if I was needed.

"You're right." Shoji said, shocking me from my thoughts "We can't just sit here in safety while our fellow students might still be in danger, we should help them."

I was ready for an argument, so Shoji's words were a great relief to me. I realised that he must have been feeling the same sense of obligation as me, even so, his decision was a relief.

We explained our plan to the rest of the group, who reacted with a mixture of surprise and exasperation. They argued that I was lucky to get away after jumping back into the fight once already, and I might not be as lucky the second time. I knew that, and accepted that risk, but that didn't change my mind, our classmates were in danger, that was all that mattered.

Iida said that he would stay behind to assist anyone else who made it to the entrance of the USJ, as well as directing the Pro Heroes when they arrive, a duty that would be important in ending this fight as quickly as possible. Yaoyorozu, Ashido and Jiro were still helping Aizawa and Thirteen, and none of us had any desire to pull them away from that duty. As for Mineta, well…

He wasn't coming, and I didn't care to try and change his mind.

With that discussion out of the way, Shoji and I turned to head back into the USJ, descending the stairs towards the battle that raged below us.

* * *

We made our way down the stairs of the USJ without any real issues or incidents, and our journey towards the centre of the USJ was also fairly uneventful, to my relief.

Though I wished that more students had come to fight alongside us, I understood their reluctance to dive straight back into combat just after making it out of the USJ. Besides, Yaoyorozu was clearly the best suited to assist with Aizawa's and Thirteen's injuries, and the others would either assist her or recover. Despite this deficiency in numbers, I was glad to have Shoji by my side in whatever awaited us, I knew that he was strong and capable, and I trusted him to watch my back if things really did turn to combat, and eventuality which seemed fairly likely given the circumstances.

Speaking of Shoji, I could see that he was also nervous about what awaited us in the USJ, but he was trying to keep his emotions under wraps. I could see his left hand constantly clenching and releasing again, and his eyes would occasionally dart around to look at a noise that seemed to be out of place or unusual. I didn't say anything, knowing that I was just as concerned as Shoji was, and I made a mental note to thank him for coming with me when this was all over.

As we made our way closer to the centre of the USJ, the shockwaves from All Might's fight with the 'Nomu' creature grew louder and more intense, the compressed blasts of air ruffling my hair even at a great distance, speaking to the incredible exchange of power going on between the two combatants. The continued blasts of air and pressure were occasionally punctuated with crashes and sounds of cracking stone, indicating that the battle was inflicting severe damage to the USJ itself. I became more and more worried the longer that the fight went on, as the knowledge that the creature still hadn't been brought low by All Might wormed its way into my mind, the impossibility of such a situation causing an unpleasant series of thoughts that I tried to ignore.

"Makes you feel a little outclassed right?" Shoji said, his voice full of quiet contemplation "It puts our own strength into perspective."

"You're telling me." I muttered, contemplating the vast gulf in power "But we might still be able to do something, even if we're outclassed."

Shoji nodded silently, and we continued to make our way forwards, edging closer and closer to the centre of the USJ. We occasionally passed small groups of villains that had been knocked out by either All Might or Aizawa, thankfully they showed no signs of awakening from their earlier fight, so they didn't bother us on our way to the centre.

"Hey!" A voice called out, sending a brief jolt of shock down my spine at the surprise "You Guys! Over Here!"

Shoji and I turned to the source of the voice, unsure whether we would be faced by an enemy or an ally. Thankfully, it was the latter, Kirishima was jogging towards us, one hand raised to catch our attention. Behind him were Bakugo and Sero, who were following at a slightly slower pace. All three had clearly seen combat, as they were covered in small scuffs and bruises, but nobody seemed to be carrying any major injuries.

"Kirishima." I said, acknowledging him with a nod as he arrived "It's good to see that the three of you are alright."

"Thanks man." Kirishima cracked a grin, looking over his shoulder briefly to see that his two fellow classmates were still behind him "It's good to see you guys too."

"I'm guessing you're heading to assist All Might?" Shoji said, cutting through the pleasantries with a serious tone "To see if you can do anything to fight that creature?"

"Of course we are." Bakugo spoke up this time, his voice quitter than usual while still retaining it's usual hard edge "We're not gonna let those bastards get away with what they've done, they'll pay for attacking us here."

"I guess that makes six then." Another voice cut in, it's droll tone contrasting with Bakugo's threatening voice.

I turned to see Todoroki sitting on a rock behind us, apparently having been listening to our conversation. While I inwardly berated myself for letting him sneak up on me, he paced towards us, his expression never changing from one of cold focus.

"The villains I faced in my own zone were weak, and yet they seemed confident in their ability to take down All Might." Todoroki sighed, his breath made visible by his cold side "If you're all here then I'm assuming that you had much the same experience, meaning that the villains were betting on only one of their number being able to take on All Might, which is assumedly that beast that he's fighting right now."

I nodded in agreement, seeing that Todoroki had come to the same conclusion that we had earlier, and Bakugo's darkening expression indicated that he too noticed this pattern in the villain's behaviour.

"We should go." I cut in, rolling my shoulders in preparation "The longer we wait, the higher the odds are of somethings going very wrong."

The rest of my class nodded or mumbled in agreement, and so the six of us forged onwards, closing the remaining distance to the centre of the USJ.

When we arrived the scene that greeted us was one of total destruction, All Might and Nomu were fixed in the centre of the plaza, trading blows that sent shockwaves outwards from the pair in waves of concussive force. A dozen or so metres away from them were the forms of the villain's leader and the fog villain, apparently having nothing to do beyond watching the battle taking place in front of them.

All Might looked towards us briefly, and his expression told me that he wasn't expecting to see us arrive so quickly, or even at all. This momentary distraction cost him dearly, as Nomu wrapped his arms around All Might's waist and flipped him over, the Hero crashing into the ground as he struggled against Nomu's iron grasp.

Underneath the pair, a portal opened up, with it's exit appearing in mid air a few metres away. Nomu and the restrained All Might half-disappeared into the portal up to their waists, with their upper halves appearing outside of the other portal. As the portals began to shrink, I realised the villain's plan, they hope to cut All Might in half using the nature of the portals, with Nomu apparently being unconcerned with it's own fate in this plan.

I shouted out to relay this information to the rest of our class, their eyes widening before they moved to counter this threat, long range Quirks working in ways that I never could. Todoroki shot out a wave of ice to try and restrain Nomu and try to pull him back to one side alongside All Might. Bakugo charged forwards, palms sparking with explosions as he rushed towards the fog villain. Sero shot out a strip of tape towards the body of the fog villain, trying to find purchase on his incorporeal form.

Todoroki's assault with ice was faring well, but he suddenly staggered, his falling form revealing a villain that stood behind him, apparently having struck Todoroki in a surprise attack. The Ice-Quirk user blew the villain away with a wave of ice and returned to his efforts to halt Nomu, his efforts diminished by the momentary distraction.

"Keep them off of us!" He shouted, gazing towards Shoji, Kirishima and me "We can't win with these guys attacking us!"

With a nod from Shoji and a grin from Kirishima, the three of us arrayed ourselves to face a wave of incoming villains, apparently recovered from their earlier beatings and ready for another round.

Kirishima shifted his body to its hardened state, scraping his knuckles together to produce an intimidating screech. Shoji turned all six of his arms into fists, holding them up in a defensive stance. I dropped into my usual fighting stance, legs wide and arms raised ready to meet the assailants who were rapidly closing the distance between us.

The first villain to make contact did so with a blast of air from his hands, sending him flying ahead of his comrades and straight towards me, leg outstretched to try and strike me down in a single hit. Bereft of my Capture Tools, I had to execute a different manoeuvre than usual, holding out my hands to try and catch the kick. As soon as I made contact I gently moved the leg aside, redirecting the impact to one side. rather than facing it head on. As the villain started to fly past me I struck his stomach with my fist, the momentum that had given the villain impressive speed now worked against him, as in amplified the impact of my strike, and sent him tumbling to the floor in pain.

Another villain came towards me, his hand glowing a gentle blue with what I assumed to be some kind of strength-enhancement Quirk. I wasn't too keen to find out what his Quirk was, so I simply dropped onto my back while lashing out with a strong upwards kick, using my arms to act as a counterweight. The kick found it's mark under the villain's chin, and a small spray of blood flew from his mouth as the impact from my boot cut his assault short and sent him spiralling to the ground.

I could see Shoji and Kirishima beside me, each of them using their respective physical strength and durability to defeat their own opponents, leaving them as crumpled heaps on the ground. The three of us fought side-by-side like that for what seemed like eternity, fighting through the wave of attackers that had come to kill All Might himself. Another came, and then another, then even more; and yet they all fell, struck down by every trick and technique that Aizawa had taught me, each and every strike was guided by the techniques my mentor had taught me.

The fight between All Might and Nomu had reached a fever pitch, and the shockwaves produced by their fight drew my attention back towards the pair as we dispatched the last of this group of villains.

The fight seemed to be getting faster and faster, the punches of the two combatants moving at supersonic speeds as they traded destructive blows. Both of the pair seemed to be unaffected by the other's strikes, in stark contrast to the environment of the USJ, which was cracking and crumbling under the sheer force of their assault. The duo of fighters were an island of blurring motion amongst waves of debris and destruction, and nobody on either side of the fight could even get close to the pair to fight alongside them.

Suddenly, All Might lashed out slightly lower than normal, the shift in his attacks threw Nomu back, the creature apparently having it's Shock Nullification Quirk overwhelmed by All Might's sheer power and sudden shift in attack pattern. With this opening, All Might threw back his arm, clenching his hand into a fist, apparently readying a more powerful strike to knock down the creature. All Might's fist seemed to glow for a second, and his sunken blue eyes glowed brighter than usual, lending him an eerie air.

For a moment, all was still.

All Might was poised and ready to attack, every fibre of his being radiating pure power. Nomu was still staggering backwards from the force of All Might's last blow, it's blank expression still unchanging in the face of what was happening. The villains were watching, the leader in particular seemed to be fixated in what was unfolding. My classmates were all frozen in place as well, unable to do anything but watch as the battle unfolded in front of us.

Then…

"**Go Beyond!**" All Might boomed, his voice seeming to restart everything again as his fist swung forwards "**PLUS ULTRA!**"

The fist flew, and found it's mark. Nomu was flung backwards instantly, rocketing away from All Might as the sheer force of the attack utterly overwhelmed the creature, blowing it away with a squawk of confusion from the avian creature. Nomu flew upwards, flying through the USJ far above the ground, it's limbs flailing around in a useless attempt to slow it's rapid ascension. Eventually Nomu impacted the roof of the USJ itself, barely even slowing as the flying creature tore a hole into the roof and continued into the sky until it disappeared into the sky. The whole thing took less than a second, and I would have thought that I had imagined the whole thing if not for the wave of air and the jagged steel hole than had been punched into the roof of the USJ.

It was over, the creature called Nomu was gone in the blink of an eye.

* * *

A pregnant pause punctuated All Might's final punch, Nomu had disappeared from sight after it had been launched from the USJ, and it showed no sign of returning.

A beat passed, then a few more.

All Might moved from the stance of his final punch, flexing his shoulders and turning back to face the two leading villains, who were watching in stunned silence at what had just occurred. The villain's leader began to pace back and forth, scratching his neck with furious and frenzied motion as he muttered inaudibly to himself about what had just occurred. This wasn't the first team I had noticed this kind of juvenile behaviour from this villain, and I found myself wondering exactly how old this guy was, and how he found himself in charge of such a large group of villains, as well as having possession of the Nomu that All Might had just violently taken down.

While I was pondering this, an exchange had occurred between the rest of my classmates, they had decided that All Might clearly had these villains under control, and our efforts would be better spent taking out the villains that remained scattered throughout the facility, villains who may still pose a threat or try and escape from the USJ to wreak havoc elsewhere. I agreed with this decision, it was obvious that we should allocate our strength in a more efficient way, and yet…

Something was wrong…

All Might was clearly injured, and even though he stood tall there was something different about him that wasn't immediately obvious. His left arm was twitching somewhat, he seemed to be putting more weight on one leg than the other, his ever-present smile seemed forced.

He was more injured than he seemed, and it seemed that the villains had noticed this as well.

The two villains readied themselves for a fight, the leader dropping into his unusual fighting stance and the fog villain's body expanding into a more inhuman shape.

"GET AWAY FROM ALL MIGHT!"

The shout came from nowhere, shocking everybody at the sudden presence of a new person. It was Midoriya, he had leapt from wherever he had been before with the power of his Quirk and was now flying towards the villains, his arm pulled back and ready to attack the villains.

After a moments shock, the leader thrust an outstretched hand into the fog villain's body, transporting his arm into a portal. The exit portal opened up right in Midoriya's flight path, and an outstretched hand was ready to meet him. It happened too fast for anybody to react, all I could do was watch in shock as Midoriya moved towards the destructive grip of the villain, eyes wide as he realised his situation.

**BOOM**

The villain suddenly fell away, clutching at the bloody wound that had suddenly appeared in his hand, he stumbled backwards, shocked by the sudden and vicious injury. I turned to see the source of the attack, and was heartened by the sight in front of me.

The UA Faculty had arrived.

A row of Pro Heroes were visible at the top of the stairs, Uraraka was also among them, clearly having succeeded in her mission to alert the Pros. Even from this distance, I could make out the forms of several Pros, including Cementoss, Power Loader and Vlad King. The presence of so many Pros also likely indicated that the rest of UA was safe, and that the attack was confined to the USJ itself.

Several villains who had rallied at the bottom of the stairs were suddenly assaulted by a barrage of Quirks, including Present Mic's powerful Voice Quirk, which sent over a dozen villains to the ground in a display of sonic force. The booming sound of Snipe's revolver echoed throughout the building, he must have been using his Quirk to target villains from an extreme distance, non-lethally dispatching them with dozens of well-placed shots.

Midoriya had landed hard on the ground, but he at least seemed to be safe from any immediate danger. All Might was still standing resolute, though I did notice that his ever-present smile was growing slightly strained. Shoji, Todoroki, Bakugo, Kirishima and Sero were all still standing around warily, but they all seemed to have relaxed a little at the arrival of the Pros. I felt much the same, though I couldn't bring myself to relax just yet, this day had had far too many surprises in store today already.

As I was looking around the rest of the USJ, I noticed that Tsu and Kaminari were making there way towards us from the Flood Zone, apparently having been hiding there was Midoriya when everything in the centre of the USJ occurred. I greeted the pair with a nod, still too tense to consider a proper greeting, and received similarly terse greetings in response, though at least the pair seemed uninjured.

I turned to see the lead villain standing again, reaching forwards towards All Might while uttering a tirade of curses and pledges of vengeance. All Might seemed unmoved by the tirade, still standing still and staring down the villain. As soon as the lead villain went to move forwards, hand outstretched to attack All Might, several more shots rang out, echoing throughout the USJ. The villain fell prone again, several bloody wounds appearing on his body and knocking him to the ground.

The fog villain wrapped around the prone form of the villain's leader, Snipe's bullets flying harmlessly into his incorporeal form. Before the villains could make another move, a sudden wave of air flew past me and towards the two villains, eliciting a gasp of shock from the fog villain. My eyes followed the source of the wave, and I realised that it was Thirteen's Black Hole Quirk, the injured Pro being propped up by two other figures that I couldn't make out from the vast distance between us.

The grasp of Thirteen's Quirk was distorting the body of the fog villain, his incorporeal form being warped by the strength of Black Hole, preventing the villain from moving. The lead villain's gaze was still firmly fixed on the form of All Might, the hero still standing resolute in spite of all that had happened. With one last proclamation, the villain disappeared behind his comrade's foggy body, his form obscured in total darkness.

The fog villain's body seemed to collapse in on itself, shrinking even under the stress of Black Hole. The fog shrunk and shrunk until it was barely visible, and it was clear that the villain had transported his leader away. Eventually the darkness disappeared totally, and Thirteen's Quirk fell away as its target had vanished totally.

And then, there was silence.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_And thus the USJ Arc comes to an end, and we see the defeat of the League, for now at least. Well there's one part left, which will show the consequences of the USJ, which we'll see tomorrow._

_I went back and rewrote the previous chapters of this story somewhat to bring them up to a new standard (basically Author's notes won't count as part of the 5k word count I allocate for each chapter, in retrospect it was weird for me to do that anyway.) Nothing major has been changed, but I've added content in areas where I thought it was lacking, and have reworked some scenes I weren't thrilled with. I've also added the names of Shinso's family members in the first chapter (another strange omission in hindsight). There a few updated Chapters that are yet to be finished, but the vast majority have been rolled out with this update. I applied this new standard both to make my writing consistent, as well as to post this story on Archive Of Our Own, which I hope will assist this story in reaching a wider audience._

_You may also notice that this story has a cover picture now, made by the crazy talented Miconomicon, who I commissioned the image from. Find them at this twitter link if you're looking for great MHA art: /miconomicon_

_Thank you all for reading, following, favouriting and reviewing this fanfic, it really has spurred me through this arc, and although I enjoyed every second of it, I'm also glad to be moving onto new things._

_Of course, the UA Sports Festival is the next major event in the story, though we will have a few Chapters of downtime before it properly kicks off, as well as the first OVA, which is in the rest of today's chapters._

_And to answer some reviews:_

_StandupSitdown: Thank you for the kind words, I'm glad to see that you're enjoying the story so far. I've added the name you sent me to the list I have, thank you for the suggestion. As for Shinso giving away his Quirk, though he has told his class what it is, only Asui, Tokoyami and Shoji know exactly how he activates it, so his weakness isn't totally out in the open._

_Raven Mordrake: Yeah I will, there's no way that I could resist the opportunity to move the Sports Festival teams about. I've got the bracket mostly planned out, and I think it will be an interesting event._

_Scorpionsasori7: I'm not sure exactly how (or even if) Shinso's Quirk will evolve, but I'll be sure to keep possible Quirk evolutions in mind for the future. Did you have any suggestions for possible Quirk evolutions?_

_Evergone the Great: Good catch, I didn't really think too much about that when I wrote it, I've edited the passage to be more realistic. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the chapter._

_Myherogal22: Thank you for the kind words, I hope you enjoyed this addition to the story._

_Guest: I'm glad to hear that you have enjoyed the story so far, and I'm incredibly humbled to hear such high praise about the story. Sorry for keeping you waiting, but these edits were something that I felt were needed, and would only become a bigger problem if I left them for too long. Nonetheless, I hope that you enjoyed this addition to the story._

_The uploads will continue daily until we are caught up. I'm ahead in university for a bit as well, so I'll be able to forge ahead with what I owe you all. We've got one more chapter showing the consequences of the USJ attack, then we go onto the first OVA and the Sport's Festival. I'm sticking to one chapter a day to stop myself getting burnt out, but I'm committed to catching up now._

_See you tomorrow!_


	20. Chapter 20- The USJ Incident: Part 8

Chapter 20- The USJ Incident: Part 8

* * *

The silence seemed almost artificial at first, as if the battle between All Might and the villain had never really ended. Moments turned to seconds, and seconds turned into a full minutes as everyone present held their breath in anticipation of another surprise or attack.

The entire USJ seemed to exhale with relief when it became clear that the villains had left for good, and the various students and heroes that made it to safety finally relaxed, the day's fighting coming to an end at long last.

Those few students that hadn't yet made their way to safety were quickly relieved of their burdens by the resurgent forces of the UA Pro Heroes, who dealt with the remaining villains with impressive speed and efficiency. To my relief, nobody amongst the students had been seriously hurt, and Shoji and I reunited with Tsu and Tokoyami as we all met in the entrance to the USJ. Our two fellow students were bruised and exhausted from fighting the groups of villains, but they were in high spirits nonetheless, and their mood rubbed off on me.

Simple joy filled my mind, the emotion coming from the sheer relief that we had all made it through the day, and this joy followed me for quite a long time after we had left the USJ. My mind only turned to exhaustion when I made it home, confronted by a trio of crying family members, all of them nearly tackling me when I made it through the front door, having been driven home by Police Officers after handing my damaged Hero Costume back to UA. I slept the deepest I had in months, receiving assurances from UA that we had the next two days as well as the following weekend free in light of what had happened. We were even free of assignments and homework, the message from UA urging us to relax and recover, an instruction that I was happy to comply with.

As I lay in bed, moments away from slipping into deep sleep, I pondered the events of the day.

That day, I saw first hand the power and scale of the villains that heroes fought against every day, risking their lives in pursuit of a peace that so many sought to shatter.

The Pros of UA showed their strength and drive in the face of unimaginable odds, and they stood tall even as two of their number were almost brought low by the power of the forces that sought to destroy our very way of life. The strength of the next generation was just as impressive, and I gained a newfound respect for each and every member of my class that stood against our attackers. Bonds were forged between students in the crucible of combat, and some would grow closer than they ever would normally.

But I also saw the power of the darkness that stood against the heroes, a power that seemed to be almost the equal of the heroes, if not in strength than in willpower. Though they had been stopped, the villains had come close to killing All Might that day, and in doing so they would have shattered the world as we knew it.

It was startling to realise just how fragile the peace that we all enjoyed was, and I now knew how quickly the whole world could change in the aftermath of a single event. The mere act of an attack on UA had put a crack in the foundations of the heroic society, and some feared that this attack was merely the harbinger of something much greater, and much darker.

I didn't know what the future held for us, but not matter what was coming, my goal would remain the same.

Become a hero, even if the very society that created heroes fell apart, even if villains cast us into a new dark age, even if the very paragon of our society was struck down by darkness. The world would always need heroes, no matter how good or how bad things got.

No matter what, my goal was the same.

* * *

_Shota Aizawa stirred slightly from the black haze he had been fading in and out of for the past few days, every fibre of his being still ached intensely, and this pain had been a constant presence the last few times he had awoken as well. He had been enduring hazy awakenings like this for a while, each one inevitably leading back to the darkness of unconsciousness that he welcomed in his injured state, for it would give him reprieve from the agony he had endured._

_He dimly recalled being treated by Recovery Girl at least twice, her Quirk unable to heal him to any great degree due to the exhaustion he had suffered, and so his healing was a slow and painful process. He also vaguely remembered several other figures standing over him at various points in time, though their faces and identities were lost to him at this precise moments._

_This was usually the time that he drifted back into oblivion again, exhaustion and injury reclaiming him just as he started to get his bearings and recall what had happened. This time was different, instead of feeling the pull of sleep, he instead felt the barest hint of energy shoot through his body, enough to compel him to at least open his eyes. The sight that greeted him was one familiar to most Pro Heroes, the clinical roof of a hospital room, with various monitors and other pieces of equipment visible to him just outside of his peripheral vision._

_His vision gradually began to focus in, stirring him into a kind of wakefulness that he was unaccustomed to even when he was uninjured. As his faculties began to return to him, so did the memories of what had happened to him. _

_An attack on the USJ. Fighting against villains. The creature that had almost killed him. Shinso appearing and getting him out. All Might arriving and fighting the creature. Being treated by Yaoyorozu. Finally falling into unconsciousness in the back of an ambulance._

_As the memories came rushing back, so did the worries. Though he hadn't gotten to know many of them yet, he already felt the obligation and responsibility towards his students in the same we he had with previous classes he had taught. He was already concerned for them when the villains had attacked initially, and this worry only got worse as his own situation worsened alongside it._

_Now, waking up in a hospital, with no idea of how long he had been asleep or what had befallen everybody else in the USJ, he couldn't help but fear the worst. Injuries were to be expected, and it would hardly be the only time that his students would find themselves hurt in the line of duty. But if one of his students had suffered a serious injury or died under his watch, then he didn't know if he would ever me able to forgive himself for failing them._

_His musings were interrupted by the sound of the door to his room opening, the squeak of the door hinges cutting through the comfortable silence that he was sitting in. Strangely, when he slowly turned his head to look who was disturbing him, he couldn't see anybody standing at the door. Aizawa watched with curiosity as the invisible force closed the door as well, and he wondered if he was being haunted, his exhausted mind not making the connection that he would have normally made in an instant._

_He only realised what was happening once the diminutive form of Principal Nezu appeared at the foot of his bed, the Principal awkwardly climbed onto the bed that Aizawa lay on before looking towards the injured Pro, his beady eyes making reading his expression difficult even at the best of times._

_Nezu was a figure that Aizawa had slowly grown accustomed to, but was never fully comfortable around, even after years of working for him. There was something about the Principal that unnerved Aizawa, something about his terrifying intellect and bizarre attitudes towards the training of the heroes of the future. Despite this, Aizawa knew that Nezu had his students best interests at heart, even if he had strange ways of showing it._

_"__Ah, Aizawa!" Nezu chirped, his voice sounding as chipper and upbeat as normal even given the circumstances of their meeting "I'm glad to see that you're awake, and you're looking much better too!"_

_Aizawa was too tired to make a sarcastic statement about his own health, so he settled for a low grunt instead, knowing that the Principal wouldn't care too much for formality in the current circumstances. Nezu must have read something in Aizawa's expression though, as a slight grin made it's way onto his face as he looked at Aizawa._

_"__I can see that you're thinking of your students, you act like you don't care, but I think we both know better than that." Nezu hummed in thought to himself for a moment before continuing "Don't worry, they're all safe, as well as Thirteen and All Might. There were a few injuries here and there, but nothing that Recovery Girl couldn't see too."_

_Aizawa sighed in relief, even in his state of pain and exhaustion he felt a large weight lift off of his mind, one less thing for him to be stressed about at least._

_"__In fact, I daresay you had it worst of anybody." Nezu continued, idly flicking through a small tablet he held in his paws as he sat on the foot of Aizawa's hospital bed "You're a credit to UA, you deserve to hear that, even though I know you don't care for that kind of praise."_

_Aizawa huffed and rolled his eyes, his tolerance for conversation was running thin. Now that he knew that his students and fellow heroes were safe, he saw little logic in continuing the conversation between himself and the Principal. Something seemed off, he knew Nezu well enough (or so he thought), that he knew that his boss wouldn't come in to simply give him an update and then make small talk. That was something that could be done far more logically by any of the UA staff that he would surely be seeing over the next few days, so why was Nezu really here?_

_"__Perceptive as always Aizawa, I always said that that was your best quality when you were a student here." Nezu's eyed gleamed somewhat, and Aizawa agonised over how the head of UA was able to read his thoughts so easily "No, I'm not here just to update you on the welfare of your students. nor am I here to discuss how what happened at the USJ transpired, though I'm sure that we will have that little conversation at some point."_

_"__Then what?" Aizawa groaned, finally mustering the strength to speak, instantly regretting the decision as his raw and dry throat protested with a shot of pain, reminding him of how he was grabbed by the creature that had attacked him._

_"__I'm here to talk to you about a particular student, one that caught my eye when I was reviewing the footage of the USJ attack." Nezu's gaze moved back to the tablet he held, flicking through an application of some kind "Make no mistake, the majority of your class acted in an incredibly heroic way during the attack, and several of them distinguished themselves by their actions during the day."_

_Aizawa raised an eyebrow, wondering where Nezu was going with the speech he was currently giving. He was oblivious of the fact that the bandages on his face obscured the gesture, and if Nezu noticed his expression he didn't remark on it._

_"__And yet, I find myself most impressed by one student in particular, perhaps due to the circumstances of how he entered this school." Nezu's eyes glinted again, and he turned back to face Aizawa "Hitoshi Shinso performed admirably during the events of the attack, and I think I'm beginning to understand why you took the young man under your wing in the first place."_

_Aizawa's eyes widened again, and he propped himself upwards into a more upright position. Though the motion caused him a great deal of pain, it was ignored by Aizawa as he listened to what Nezu had to say, now knowing that it involved his young protégé._

_"__I admit I was sceptical when you approached me about adding a student into the Hero Course based on your own recommendation, even with UA's free-reign style of teaching, something like that is highly unusual, especially to come from you of all people." Nezu paused again as Aizawa waited impatiently, trying to make sense of what Nezu was saying "But my scepticism was overridden by my curiosity, the kind of which I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing in a while. I was interested to see what kind of student he was to earn a recommendation from you, and I enjoyed thinking of what new experiences such an inclusion might bring to the Hero Course."_

_"__I suppose it's easier to show you why I'm so impressed." Nezu continued, holding out the tablet in a single paw "Have a look at some of the footage I've collated, I think you'll find it to be quite enlightening."_

_Aizawa grasped the tablet in a bandages hand, flinching slightly at the weight of the device on his still-healing bones. After a few seconds of fumbling, he managed to get the video to play, and he focused his blurry vision as well as he was able to so that he was able to see what Nezu had seen of Shinso._

_The clip started by showing Shinso being dropped into the centre of the Collapse Zone, alone. The video was clearly taken from some kind of concealed security camera, which were hidden all throughout the USJ to monitor the progress of the students. The young hero was surrounded by around two-dozen villains, all of which were clearly spoiling for a fight. What worry that Aizawa felt at the sight of his protégé in such a perilous situation was quickly removed as he saw Shinso start his fight against the villains. He could see every technique that he had taught him on display, the young man putting his lessons on display as he battled his way through a crowd of villains that surely wanted him dead. He was impressed by Shinso's quick and creative usage of his capture weapons, as well as clever usage of his Quirk against foes that would have surely given him trouble if he were to fight them straight-on._

_Aizawa continued to watch as Shinso made his way to the Ruin Zone, Brainwashed villains in tow as the young hero went to assist his classmates. He smiled under his bandages as he saw Shinso putting his lessons in psychological warfare to use, the devastating morale impact of the Brainwashed was plain to see, and it tipped the odds decisively in the young heroes' favour. Aizawa was also impressed with the fighting prowess of Iida, Jiro and Yaoyorozu, and he made a mental note to put Mineta in an extra class to deal with his nervousness._

_Aizawa shifted slightly in discomfort, both physical and mental, as he watched Shinso send his classmates away as he went to rescue him, a decision that Aizawa was unsure whether to praise or criticise him for. Aizawa's breath caught in his throat as he saw Shinso's capture weapons be turned to dust by the villain's leader, and his protégé almost suffered the same fate at the villain's hands. He sighed in relief when he saw how narrowly Shinso had escaped a brush with the villain's Quirk, and watched with a strange mixture of emotions as Shinso carried his own prone form out of the USJ. On one hand he felt grateful, and he knew that he owed his student a great deal from rescuing him from a painful fate at the hands of that creature; On the other hand he felt a sense of obligation, it was his duty to protect his students, not the other way around, and he didn't want to put that burden on them until they were ready to bear it._

_Just as Aizawa thought that Shinso might have finally escaped the fight, he watched as he and Shoji went back into the USJ, apparently intent on helping All Might with his fight against the large villain that Aizawa had fought. Aizawa had noticed the strong bond between the pair, as well as Tokoyami and Asui, the quartet apparently having become close friends during their short time at UA. Even as the video came to an end, Aizawa could see Shinso, Shoji and Kirishima fighting side-by-side, pushing themselves to the limit to protect their classmates using their Quirks to assist All Might._

_The video ended, and Aizawa handed the device back to Nezu, who had been silently watching Aizawa's reactions at various points of the video, paying close attention to how his employee reacted to the video of the student he had recommended fighting his way through the USJ._

_"__I can see that he's certainly taken your teachings to heart." Nezu said, his voice sounding more serious than normal as he placed the device he held to one side "He shows tremendous skill and awareness in combat, and this only becomes more impressive when you consider that he essentially fights Quirkless."_

_Aizawa doesn't say or even mutter anything, sensing that the Principal wants to continue speaking. Because of this he is surprised when he sees the Principal sigh and looking at the ground below him, apparently caught in a moment of contemplation. Nezu wore an expression that Aizawa had never seen before, a look of sober contemplation that contrasted with his usual upbeat wit and intelligent mannerism._

_"__You plan to make him into an Underground Hero." Nezu finally said, his eyes still not leaving the ground._

_It wasn't a question, merely a statement of fact on Nezu's part. It was something that both of them knew to be true, and yet it was still uncomfortable for either of them to talk about so openly. Aizawa's eyes flicked towards the door, making sure that there was nobody listening in on their conversation before he continued._

_"__He's got great potential for that line of work." Aizawa finally said, keep his voice low both to avoid agitating his throat as well as to keep his words unheard by anyone but the Principal "I've never seen somebody who would take to it as well as he would."_

_"__I'm not questioning his physical capabilities." Nezu replied, looking back at Aizawa with a hard glare that almost shocked the injured Pro out of his bed with its raw intensity "I'm concerned as to whether or not he can handle what it is that Underground Heroes really do, whether or not he has the mental strength for the job."_

_"__Of course he does." Aizawa shot back, feeling a compulsion to defend his student "He's beat every obstacle in front of him so far, I don't doubt his mental state in the slightest."_

_"__And what about the way he was treated?" Nezu hissed, eyes flicking to the door as he leaned closer to Aizawa "I know you've read his file 'Social alienation from his peers' and 'Concerns over a dark future' were a few choice passages."_

_"__What does that have to do with anything?" Aizawa questioned, caution stopping him from raising his voice "Bullying is something I know he's endured, and it's terrible that he had to deal with that his whole life, but that doesn't mean he's unfit for that job."_

_"__You know as well as I do that Underground Heroes walk a narrow path, one that brings them to the very edge of villainy, far closer than any hero should ever be." Nezu's voice was even lower now, and his face was only a few inches from Aizawa's "If he has any feelings of resentment of anger towards the people that shoved him aside, then he could fall into that darkness."_

_"__I-" Aizawa was determined to speak, but Nezu's stern glare cut him short._

_"__If that happens, it would be nothing less than UA creating a villain, teaching a student everything we know before throwing him into a world that most heroes aren't even aware exists." Nezu's intensity continued to rise, his piercing glare boring right into Aizawa's soul "And with his Quirk and the knowledge that we've given him, he could be one of the most dangerous villains that the world has ever seen. He could kill All Might with a single word if he wished."_

_"__He's not like that." Aizawa finally found his voice, determined to fight back even though everything that Nezu had said so far was undeniably true "He's idolised heroes his whole life, he would never turn his back on them."_

_"__Really? And how do you think he would react if you tell him the great Lie of the Underground Heroes?" Nezu finally said, unleashing the verbal hammer blow that Aizawa knew was coming "How much will he idolise Heroes when he realises what this whole society is built upon?"_

_"__You know that the Lie is necessary." Aizawa replied, his usual logical and dispassionate tone reasserting itself "You know that Underground Heroes are necessary, and you know the chaos that would erupt if we were gone, or if our secret was made public."_

_"__I know." Nezu sighed, all of his fight and fiery passion suddenly gone, replaced in an instant with silent contemplation "But that doesn't mean that I like the idea of putting one of our own students into that world, especially after what Shinso went through before he came here. Do you really think that it's in his best interest?"_

_"__I- I don't know." Aizawa admitted, his own passion deflating in a parallel of his boss "But I know that he has the strength to enter that world, and the strength to endure its secrets."_

_Nezu hummed in thought for several seconds before hopping off of the hospital bed, apparently considering the conversation to have ended. Aizawa was sitting upright now, apparently having moved into the position in the heat of the argument, only noticing now that he was calm again. Nezu paced slowly away, apparently still deep in his own thoughts. Only when he stretched to reach for the door handle did Nezu turn back to Aizawa, his grim expression at odds with his usual persona._

_"__I will trust your judgement in this matter Aizawa, if only because I trust you to make the most logical decision in this regard." Nezu's eyes still didn't quite meet Aizawa's, a fact that the Pro hero was grateful for "I need to know that you won't let emotions cloud your judgement, this matter is far too important to make a rash or hasty decision on."_

_Aizawa nodded, unable to find any words to articulate his true thoughts._

_"__Very well, but I want you to consider every aspect of this question before you make your choice." Nezu sighed again, his demeanour an expression of weakness that Aizawa hadn't seen in years "Shinso also deserves a choice in this matter, it's only fair that he chooses to be involved in this world, nobody should be forced into it."_

_"__I know." Aizawa muttered, conflicting thoughts and ideas flying through his mind "We both want the best for all our students, no matter what."_

_"__He deserves a choice in the matter, we owe him that much at least." Nezu turned to leave, though not before one more parting remark "You know what happens if this goes wrong, and neither of us want to see that happen."_

_"__I know." Aizawa repeated, feeling more exhausted than he had in the past few days, even after everything that had happened to him._

_"__We never had this conversation." Nezu said, his voice chipper and his expression bright again as he stepped outside of Aizawa's hospital room, the door slowly swinging shut again._

_Aizawa slid back into his bed, clasping his eyes shut in order to try and get some sleep, the darkness came quickly, and this time he welcomed it's warm embrace._

_That night, Shota Aizawa slept fitfully, his mind clouded by the conversation he had had with Nezu. He dreamt of the dark world below the heroic society, one that most people were totally unaware of. He dreamt of the Underground Heroes, those few who walked a path apart from their peers, a path they walked out of necessity. He dreamt of the Lie, the one secret that he would take to his grave, for the alternative was too dire to contemplate. And at the centre of it all was Hitoshi Shinso, and the image of his future, balancing on a knifes edge._

_Just one stumble, and his young protégé could fall into darkness forever._

* * *

_Tomura Shigaraki fell to the ground of his hideout with a thud, and he couldn't help but groan in pain as the ethereal form of Kurogiri coalesced into a more humanoid shape beside him. _

_Blood steadily dripped onto the floor of the bar as Shigaraki shakily made his way onto his feet, using a nearby table for support for his injured legs. He growled in childish frustration, images of the day that he had endured flashed through his mind's eye as his thoughts screamed in his mind louder and louder until he could hardly hear himself think. The shouts in his mind only stopped when Shigaraki cried out in frustration and slammed his hand into a nearby table, the loud crash jolting him back into reality._

_The noise had also apparently triggered a sensor in the screen that sat behind the bar, as the monitor flickered to life and bathed the darkened bar in eerie blue light. Shigaraki knew what this meant, and he limped his way over to the bar until his face was only a few inches from the screen._

_The image on the screen flickered into one that Shigaraki knew well, one that showed the silhouette of a seated figure, the outline highlighted in green light from the various liquid-filled tubes that sat in the background._

_"__Tomura Shigaraki." The figure spoke, the static distorting the sound did nothing to hide the raw malice in the figure's voice "You have returned from your mission, how did you fare?"_

_"__It all went wrong teacher!" Shigaraki growled, his high pitch making his voice sound hoarse and torn "Nomu wasn't enough, All Might beat him! He's still just as strong, and I wasn't strong enough to beat him! I'm too weak… too…"_

_Shigaraki's voice trailed off as his mood spiralled into despair and self-loathing, he fell to his knees in front of the monitor as he continued to mutter incoherently. His usual coping mechanism kicked in, and Shigaraki began to furiously scratch at the raw red flesh of his neck, nails scoring into his skin as he furiously turned his anger onto himself._

_"__Be calm Tomura Shigaraki." The voice said, it's voice an equal mixture of commanding authority and patient nurturing "Nomu may not have been enough, but All Might has certainly weakened, that much I am sure of."_

_"__Of course teacher." Shigaraki growled, his arms shaking as he forced himself to stop scratching his neck "What's our next move?"_

_"__For now, you shall wait. Gather your strength and recruit others to your cause." The voice was calm yet controlling, and it spoke in manner that suggested an almost fatherly affection "You are destined to be this world's symbol of fear, Tomura Shigaraki, one day you will show them what you are truly capable of."_

_"__Yes teacher." Shigaraki bowed, the shaking in his limbs finally ceasing at the assurances of his teacher "I'll do my best to fulfil your vision, and tear this rotten society down."_

_"__**Our vision**__." The voice corrected, leaning backwards from the screen once it was satisfied at Shigaraki's mood "Are there any other heroes or students at UA that I should know about?"_

_"__Those bastards." Shigaraki spat, the neurotic villain having to remind himself to keep calm "Endeavour's son was there, and he's just as powerful as you said. There was this other worm with some kind of explosive power, he might be even stronger. Then there was that rat with the mind control, and-"_

_"__Mind Control?" The figure asked, cutting off Shigaraki's spiel with a few calm words "I hadn't heard of such a Quirk, tell me about it."_

_"__I can't explain it." Shigaraki grimaced behind his mask, the memory of what happened to him filling him with confusion "It was this purple-haired student that showed up to rescue Eraserhead from Nomu, the moron. I was about to turn the rat to dust, then the next thing I know Kurogiri is beside me and telling me that I had been standing still for minutes. The bastard had got away with Eraserhead, and he even stopped Nomu from chasing after him."_

_"__Intriguing…" The figure muttered, it's voice distorting as the screen flickered before turning back to normal "I will look further into this power, farewell for now, Tomura Shigaraki."_

_The figure leant back in it's chair as the screen went dark again, severing its connection with the future symbol of fear for now._

_"__Have our contact at UA pull up the files of students in Class 1A." The figure groaned, it's voice distorted by the oxygen mask fixed around it's face "I find myself intrigued by this Mind Control power, and I desire it for myself."_

_The being that it spoke to bowed silently before shuffling away, leaving it's master alone in total darkness._

_All For One smiled, knowing that his plans were coming closer to completion every single day._

_"__Your era is coming to an end, symbol of peace."_

* * *

_Author's Note_

_And we finally finish the USJ Arc for real, with an epilogue showing several scenes of consequences for those involved._

_The Shinso section at the beginning was mainly there to show a bit of our lead's emotions at the conclusion of the attack, as well as showing the wider picture of what the attack on the USJ means for heroic society. Though I don't have any real issues with this section, I think it is a bit weaker than the others, though it's inclusion was certainly necessary. _

_The Aizawa section was probably my favourite part of the story to write, as well as being the 'meat' of this Chapter. It gets into the mind of Shinso's mentor and shows how he reacts to his student in action, something I enjoyed finally having the opportunity to explore. Also, Nezu is incredibly fun to write, and he'll certainly be showing up more in the future. This section also brings to light the Underground Hero aspect of this story that I've been hinting at for a while, and which will properly come to fruition in the Internship Arc. It's going to be a while yet, but one day the great lie of the Underground Heroes will be revealed. _

_The Shigaraki section was also important for reasons of setting up future plot threads, and though it may not be apparent right now, the affects of this section will be large and far-reaching indeed._

_The first OVA starts tomorrow, and while it of course needs a little timeline adjustment in order to fit in, I'll do my best to insert it into the story in a natural way._

_And to answer some reviews:_

_OnlineOverlord15: Thanks as always for the support, I hope you're still enjoying the story. I'll have to rewatch the Sport's Festival Arc to double-check, but I'm fairly sure that Shinso needs a verbal response to get his Quirk to work, but I'll have to look into it further._

_StandupSitdown: Thank you for the review, and don't worry about not being able to write more, I appreciate that you took the time to write a review regardless. Aizawa's reaction was shown here, and I hope it came across nicely in this Chapter. As for his classmate's reactions, well we'll have to see about that later on…_

_Evergone the Great: Thanks for the review. I did try to keep this in mind, and tried to convey that fact by having an extended scene with Shinso and Nomu as well as Shinso escaping in order to convey the passage of time, but that might have not come across strongly enough._

_Donovan2771: Thank you for the support, I'm glad that you enjoy this story. Funnily enough this story also reached 10,000 views today as well, so we've hit quite a few milestones today, here's to many more._

_Raven Mordrake: In all honesty it will probably be Aizawa. I won't give anything away, but I plan to dive deep into the world of Underground Heroes, and Aizawa is the door into that world._

_Alexanderjuarez499: I'm not super familiar with the mechanics of Kirishima's Quirk to be honest. The counters you've proposed all make sense, but I imagine it will still be a difficult encounter for Shinso, especially given how he focuses on close combat._

_Thank you all for reading this story, and I'll see you tomorrow!_


	21. Chapter 21- Rescue Training: Part 1

Chapter 21- Rescue Training: Part 1

* * *

The time of recovery that we had been given by UA passed by remarkably quickly, not least because I slept the majority of it away. It was the most sleep that I had had in months, and it was certainly nice to be able to simply let go of my worries for a few days and spend time on recovering from the ordeals of the USJ. My mother barely let me out of her sight for the whole four days, clearly the stress of finding out what had happened had gotten to her, I was hardly surprised given the circumstances. Despite my insistence that I was able to take care of myself, she still fretted about me over my whereabouts, and my efforts to try and calm her nerves were largely in vain.

I kept in contact with my closest friends from UA over those few days, and our discussions about what had happened were certainly enlightening in terms of the capabilities and experiences of my fellow students. Tokoyami confided in us that although Dark Shadow was weak to light, the opposite was also true, and the being was greatly empowered when Tokoyami was in a darkened environment. He also told us how the Quirk was influenced by his emotional state, and that he faced a constant internal battle to keep his power in check. It was good to see that Tokoyami felt comfortable enough to open up to us about something so personal, and even through written messages I could tell that he was emotionally conflicted in telling us about his Quirk, though he seemed relieved to have someone to talk to about it.

I hadn't heard anything from Aizawa in the last four days, though that was to be expected, given what had happened to him in the USJ. It was bizarre to see my teacher in a position where he was being so easily overpowered and outmatched by those he fought against. I had grown used to seeing him as a figure of calm control, and seeing that control rested from him was a terrifying reversal of status. I could only hope that he was on the road to recovery, and that the worst hadn't happened, no matter how much it hurt to consider that eventuality.

It was fairly surreal to see news about UA on national news, but the attack dominated headlines for days, with stern-faced anchors and reporters giving increasingly verbose takes on the events that had occurred in the USJ. Heroes were invited onto news programs to give their takes on the event, and certain reporters were hysterically proclaiming that this event could 'rock hero society to its very core'. Though I initially dismissed such a dramatic take, I found myself becoming more and more receptive to it as time wound on, especially in the face of what had really happened with the USJ, with no news site openly talking about Nomu and the climatic battle with All Might.

I even had the strange experience of seeing the Principal of UA, Nezu, talking in a press release about the attack and the new countermeasures that UA would be putting in place to ensure that such a thing never happened again. Due to Aizawa's insistence of running a Quirk Test on the first day rather than sending us to orientation, this was the first time I had seen the Principal of UA. He was apparently a rare example of an animal manifesting a Quirk, the power he possessed giving him intelligence far greater than even highly gifted humans, making him one of the most intelligent beings on Earth. Most of his speech was standard PR talk, with the Principal throwing out sentences about 'Safeguarding our valuable students' and 'Massive improvements to security infrastructure', the phrases a pure expression of pointless drabble that I usually ignored. Underneath this façade, however, was something far more fascinating, and something possibly far more dangerous. Aizawa had taught me a lot about lying and manipulation, as well as how to read these tells off of other people, using their expressions and body language to figure out the truth. The principal's expression was unreadable, but his body language suggested that he was also aware of these techniques and tells, even if he wasn't lying per se right now.

Did Aizawa know about this? Had he learned these things from Principal Nezu? Was the Principal hiding anything from the public?

It was all a little creepy to be honest, and I was unsure of what to make out of it. I considered messaging Shoji about it, but decided against it on the grounds that what I had written sounded utterly insane, and I had no intention of raving to a friend about a potentially manipulative Principal of UA, especially on a day off.

In the end, I filed all of this information under 'talk to Aizawa later', and left it at that, content to let UA's enigmatic figurehead slip from my mind for the moment. That turned out to be easier said than done though, and I stayed up well past midnight looking into the President of UA, only finally conceding to my exhaustion when four hours of combing through the corners of the internet failed to turn up anything beyond basic information on Nezu.

Soon enough, Monday had come around again, and I found myself walking the halls of UA towards room 1A, unsure of what exactly awaited me in the room. Homeroom always started the day, but Aizawa would unquestionably still be in hospital, and I doubted that UA had spare teachers that would be able to stand in.

I paced into the room, greeted only by the seated forms of the perpetually-early Midoriya and Iida, both of which greeted me upon my arrival, though their stiff greetings were a reminder of the tension left over from UA. Midoriya seemed to have healed from the injuries that his own Quirk had given him during the attack on the USJ, the sight of his broken bones already becoming a fairly frequent occurrence. I sat down and waited, watching idly as the rest of our class filed into the room and took their seats.

9 AM came and went, and there was no sign of whoever would be leading our class for the day. Idle chatter broke out amongst some of the students, though the tension in the room continued to simmer, preventing anybody from truly relaxing. Finally, at five minutes past nine, the door to room 1A swung open, and the sight of a familiar Pro Hero met twenty sets of eyes.

"Mr. Aizawa?"

"How are you here?"

"You're still injured!"

"You're being too professional!"

Nineteen voices cried out as the sight of our usual Homeroom teacher, walking into the room as if nothing was amiss in the slightest. This impression was shattered by the fact that every visible piece of skin on his body was wrapped in bandages, and both of his arms were in slings, and injury that he pointedly ignored as he leant onto his podium.

"Recovery Girl went a little overboard on her treatments." Aizawa muttered, his voice sounding as calm and disinterested as ever "I assure you that I'm perfectly capable of teaching."

Hearing that announcement brought a wry grin to my face, it was plain that Aizawa was lying about something, or a least omitting part of the truth. So it was with a mixture of concern and curiosity that I spoke up as well.

"Does Recovery Girl know that you're out teaching here?" I asked, doing my best to omit any curiosity from my voice.

"Well…" Aizawa paused for a second, and I could swear that I saw him flinch under his bandages for a second "What she doesn't know can't hurt her."

There was a general muttering from the class at that statement, though Aizawa shut it down fairly quickly.

"Now, today's lesson was originally going to be critique of your performance during Rescue Training, but as you know it was… cut short." Aizawa let that statement hang in the air for a moment, continuing after another pause "So to rectify this deficiency we will be returning to the USJ today to perform the training exercises we would have last week. Get changed and get to the bus in 20 minutes, don't be illogical and make me wait.

Aizawa then calmly turned and walked out of the room, doubtlessly going to try and catch some sleep in the school bus for a few minutes. The impact of his words persisted for far longer, and I could see the ripples of concern move through the class as my classmates realised what was going on. I admit, I also wasn't thrilled with the idea of returning to the USJ so quickly, going back to the site of the attack a few days after the event seemed strange to much of the class, and I was inclined to agree. On the other hand I could see the logic of Aizawa's actions, he wanted to test our mental fortitude and keep us from associating the USJ with a negative experience. We would have to return there countless times over the next few years, it was surely more logical to have us return immediately and get back to work.

I arrived in the changing rooms and changed into my Hero Costume quickly, pulling on the jumpsuit and tightening the straps of armour as fast as I could manage, drawing a few confused looks from the rest of my class. As I donned my support equipment, I realised that my capture tools were missing, an in place of them was a small note, written in shaky handwriting.

_The Capture Tools are difficult to replace at such short notice, as they are a highly specialised item. You will have to work without them for the moment._

\- _S. Aizawa._

The note made sense, but something about the way it was written threw me off, something beyond the writing style which spoke to the author's injuries. It was this feeling that compelled me to change so quickly, and I rushed out of the door as urgently as I could without full-one running, as I tried to maintain at least an illusion of calm.

I made my way to the school bus far ahead of the rest of my class, and I jumped aboard to see Aizawa sitting on the first row of seats, one of UA's security robots taking over driving duties in light of Aizawa's injuries.

"Something's wrong." I deadpanned, not feeling the need to dance around the issue "What happened?"

Aizawa shot me a strange look, one that was superficially similar to his usual glare, but I could see other emotions hidden just below the surface. The hidden emotions were both varied and surprising, regret, internal conflict and… fear?

"I suggest you focus on the day's training." Aizawa muttered, turning away to look out of the window "There's a lot to do, and I don't expect you to waste your time on illogical worries."

I was briefly at a loss for words, Aizawa may have always been grumpy and plain-speaking, and he had been harsh and critical during some of our conversations about training. But he had _never _blown me off like that, and the act left me equal parts annoyed and confused.

Iida eventually caught up with me, congratulating me for being so eager to get to the day's activities, oblivious to the exchange that had just taken place. I silently made my way to my seat in the bus, sitting in a sullen silence that I used to disguise my contemplation. Even as my classmates chatted around me, I was left silent, a question ringing in my mind.

What had I done to offend Aizawa like that?

* * *

Returning to the USJ was nerve wracking, and every step I took into the facility raised my heart rate slightly until I felt like a total nervous wreck, my eyes flicking between as of the shadows that could have held someone waiting to spring another ambush on us. I could tell from looking at the class that I wasn't the only person experiencing this anxiety, as the majority of the class seemed to be far more subdued and cautious that normal.

Even the sight of Thirteen did little to raise the classes' spirits, though there was still marvelling at the constitution of UA Pro's, especially given the state that Thirteen was in the last time I had seen her. Thirteen and Aizawa briefly outlined what we would be doing for the day, explaining that we would be learning a variety of basic search and rescue techniques, and that this session would serve as a grounding for the more complex things that we would learn later on. It was clear that the USJ would be a constant throughout our three years at UA, as we were expected to learn a massive variety of rescue procedures during our time in the school, and everything would stem from these first few lessons. Thirteen also mentioned that we would later have 'optional courses' to take on later in the year, and that advanced rescue training was one of the options for heroes that were that way inclined.

As we made our way into the facility proper, it was clear that extensive repairs had taken place, as all of the damage done to the USJ seemed to have been completely repaired in the four days since the attack. Most notably, the hole in the ceiling that All Might had sent Nomu through was completely patched up, with no evidence that it had ever been there in the first place.

The memory of Nomu inevitably made me stare at the centre of the facility for several seconds, as I was half expecting the sight of the fog villain to greet me with a fresh horde of villains, ready to repeat to ordeal of the USJ all over again. A second passed, then another, then another, I knew I was being irrational, but I couldn't help but count the seconds as I searched the centre of the USJ for the slightest hint of black fog.

Eventually I realised that there was no imminent attack, and I sighed in relief as I felt some of the tension that I had been carrying around dissipate, though it didn't disappear completely.

I shook my head to clear my mind of any lingering doubts, knowing that spending the whole day worrying about the eventuality of another villain attack would only stress me out, as well as distracting me from the day's tasks. Though no matter how many times I told myself that, my doubt never vanished completely

Rescue training ended up being far more general than I had ever imagined, and my biggest takeaway was the revelation that the word 'Rescue' had a ridiculously vast amount of meanings, all of which I seemed to be learning at once. The training had started with Thirteen giving us a long lecture about a heroes' role in rescue and how they would co-ordinate with more conventional rescue services to save hundreds of lives in otherwise terrible situations. The lecture would normally have been rather boring, but Thirteen's experience and enthusiasm meant that it was fairly interesting to listen to, even though rescue wasn't really within my skillset.

We then moved on to basic first aid techniques and equipment, and this was something that Thirteen put even more emphasis on than normal, as the applications and responsibilities of learning these techniques were equally vast. Thirteen talked about how even combat heroes would benefit from learning as much first aid as they could, as it would let them treat themselves or a partner in the middle of a battlefield, preventing needless injury or loss of life.

I pledged to take that advice to heart, and so I threw myself into the exercises with as much commitment and enthusiasm as I could muster, and I dived straight into the exercises in front of me. The idea of being unable to help a fellow injured hero or treat my own injuries struck a chord with me in a way that I hadn't expected, so I did my best to commit everything being taught to me to memory.

The other rescue situations that we were faced with were just as wide and varied as the medical knowledge that had been imparted onto us earlier, and the solutions were equally varied. Our exercises ranger from mountain rescue to firefighting and everything in between. It would have been exhausting in any other situation, but the hectic speed with which we moved between exercises and situations was enough to keep everybody wide awake and alert.

I had to admit that the experience was enjoyable, Thirteen's breakneck pace of teaching took some adjustment to get used to, but it was highly informative once we were all on the same wavelength. I knew that future lessons would likely be far more in depth than what we were doing now, but I could at least enjoy all of the variation that we were faced with today. The shadow of the USJ seemed much less imposing after a few hours within the building, and it seemed that the rest of the class agreed as we got caught up in the exercises we were performing. It was far from a leisure activity, and it was as difficult as any other work that UA gave us, but the fresh experience made it far more bearable.

Aizawa's attitude was still off, and it was bugging me more and more as the day went on. He was short and snappy with the entire class, and he spoke as little as he needed to for the entire day. The rest of the class wrote this off as him just being grumpier than usual, and they didn't let the behaviour of our Homeroom teacher throw them off, though there was the occasional remark from a student that was out of his earshot. I knew that this behaviour was highly unusual, and I wasn't the only one, as even Thirteen seemed a little thrown off by the way that he was acting, seeming slightly flustered when she spoke after Aizawa.

Stranger still was the way that I kept seeing Aizawa glancing at me throughout the whole day, as I would occasionally look up from my work at the time to see him looking at me with the same strange mixture of emotions that he had displayed earlier on the school bus. I kept reading different emotions from him everytime I looked, though the most prominent one seemed to be what I could only interpret as pity, which bothered me no end. As soon as Aizawa could see me looking towards him, he would switch back to his icy glare, and pace off somewhere else. He hadn't said a word to me the entire day, which again left me wondering if I had done anything to offend him. In the end I simply resolved to ignore the glares he was sending my way and focus on my work, even though my confusion remained.

We moved between the zones of the USJ at breakneck speed, Thirteen going into long spiels about the function of the various zones and what disasters that they were made to simulate. Japan was unfortunately still prone to a multitude of natural disasters and cataclysms, and so such knowledge would always be valuable. This didn't even include the vast swathes of destruction that could be caused in fights between heroes and villains, and Thirteen even mentioned that fact that man-made destruction was far more common and wide-reaching than the ravages of nature upon the earth. Villain attacks had levelled city blocks in displays of destruction that could rival the atomic bomb, and so the job of a rescue hero was never really done.

Though Thirteen was often solemn and serious, she balanced this attitude with a near-endless enthusiasm for teaching the techniques she had so frequently deployed on her own missions, and she breathlessly spoke on more than one occasion about how honoured she was to have the opportunity to pass on her lessons to the new generation of heroes. She was clearly in her element, and her enthusiasm was infectious in the way that it spread through the rest of the class, raising their spirits as the day went along. I might have been as enthusiastic as the rest of the class as well, were it not for the solemn presence that stood to Thirteen's side, and the confusion that it brought.

* * *

We had been practising our Rescue activities for a hours on end, with a still-sullen Aizawa and a more enthusiastic Thirteen directing us between various exercises and procedures throughout the various zones of the USJ. It was admittedly interesting to learn about this aspect of a heroes' duty, even though I was dimly aware that I would have few opportunities to actually put these skills into practise given my Quirk.

Our current activity was reminiscent of some kind of game of hide-and-seek, though on a far greater scale and in imitation of a real-world disaster. We were performing this activity in the Ruin Zone, which was where I had led the counterattack with the Brainwashed villains, and where I had met several of my classmates fighting against a horde of villains.

There was no evidence of this confrontation left in the entire zone, and I marvelled at how quickly and efficiently UA had been able to repair and clean up the USJ, speaking to their truly vast funds and staffing pool. Even with Cementoss in their roster, this couldn't have been an easy job, and it was clear that UA valued this facility greatly.

The activity involved fifteen members of the class being concealed throughout the USJ, being placed in areas and situations that were reminiscent of people that had been involved in real disasters, trapped in building and under debris. The remaining five of us were sent to try and find and 'rescue' our classmates, having to comb through the area in the most efficient manner possible, as we would be graded on how quickly and safely we were able to find and retrieve the rest of the class.

Alongside me were the other four 'Seekers' and the five of us moved through the urban environment in a spread-out wave. Midoriya was moving from place to place, not using his Quirk for fear of injury to both himself and anyone that was under debris, so he instead focused his efforts on finding our classmates and traversing the area. Uraraka was using her Zero Gravity to move large chucks of debris out of the way with relative ease, though she did have to pause whenever she became too nauseous to use her power, but even with that setback she was a valuable member of the team. Kirishima's Hardening let him tear through weaker structures with ease, and with little regard for his own personal safety, as falling debris was only a minor hindrance, and he used this fact to enter the most dangerous areas of the zone with no hesitation. Yaoyorozu was the last member of the team, and she proved her versatility by creating various piece of medical and rescue equipment within an instant, letting us perform more complicated rescue manoeuvres far easier.

It was going well so far, the exercise had barely begun, and we had already found six of our classmates and retrieved them from their hiding spots, sending them back to the muster point we had been instructed to set up. I would have liked to have had Shoji or Jiro on the team, as their hearing would have made the exercise almost trivial, but even without this advantage we were still making good progress.

We were making our way along one of the main streets of the area, having met up to co-ordinate our next move. Our planning was cut short by the sound of a large crash, and the appearance of a large dust cloud blowing through the street that we stood on, obscuring our vision for any great distance. As I frantically rubbed my eyes to try and clear them of the sudden rush of dust, I could hear Uraraka shout something out, and although I couldn't make out what she said, the confusion in her tone was evident.

The dust finally began to settle, and our view of the street gradually returned to us. The obscured figures of my teammates slowly faded back to normal, the four of them looking as confused by the appearance and source of the dust cloud as I was. I paced over to Midoriya, who was also blinking to clear the dust from his eyes.

"What the hell was that?" I asked, my voice deepened by the Artificial Vocal Chords, which I had strapped to my face after hearing the initial crash "Did one of the buildings collapse?"

"I don't know." Midoriya croaked, his voice strained by the amount of dust still in the air "I-"

Midoriya suddenly cut off, his surely lengthy spiel ended before it could even begin. I was about to press him on whatever it was he was about to say when I saw his expression. All of the colour had drained from his face, and his eyes had widened at whatever it was that he had seen. I turned to follow his gaze to see whatever it was that had spooked him, and the sight that greeted me was a terrifying one.

It was a villain, that much was obvious, if not only for the sheer feeling of menace that seemed to radiate from the figure. The villain was massive, at least 7 feet tall and seemingly built out of pure muscle, giving him a hulking and brutish appearance. His outfit was a black undershirt and military-style pants, there was also a bulky red belt that surely contained various supplies or weapons. The villain also had large spiked shoulder pads strapped to his outfit, and the entire ensemble was capped of with a crude gas mask that covered his entire face, lending him a distinct air of ambiguity.

It was only after looking at the villain's appearance that I noticed another detail, one that almost stole the breath from my lungs. The prone form of Shoto Todoroki was clutched in the villain's hand, the hulking adversary carrying the unconscious student by his vest with contemptuous ease. This sight dialled the alarm bells in my head up to maximum, that fact that this villain had subdued one of the most powerful students in our class without us evening noticing meant that he was likely to be incredibly powerful, and the fact that he wasn't carrying a single injury himself drove this impression even further into my mind. At the very least, Todoroki seemed to be uninjured, just knocked out, though this meant that the villain likely planned to use our classmate as a hostage.

The villain carried himself with contemptuous arrogance, the aura of a sheer conquering force seemed to emanated from the figure, and the ease with which he moved indicated that he seemed totally confident in his current situation. Arrogance was usually a weakness that I could exploit for a quick and decisive win, as most villains massively overestimated their own strength and capabilities, and as such they would reveal key weaknesses. Something in the back of my mind told me that this villain's arrogance was entirely justified, and any attempt at observing a weakness in the villain yielded nothing.

"You shouldn't have come back here so soon young heroes." The villain growled, his voice distorted by the gas mask "You might have won last time, but don't think for a moment that this means you're safe."

"What do we do?" Yaoyorozu asked, her composure wavering somewhat in the face of this new adversary.

"Aizawa and Thirteen are still injured, and the rest of our class are unaware of what's going on." I replied, rolling my shoulders in preparation "We can't let this guy get the drop on them."

"Kirishima, Shinso, the three of us will fight this guy together." Midoriya added, the usual stammer in his voice gone "Uraraka, look for an opportunity to use your Quirk on this guy, Yaoyorozu, see if you can create a signal to let everybody know what's happening."

After affirmation from the everybody, Kirishima, Midoriya and myself lined up to array ourselves against the villain. We dropped into fighting stances, Kirishima activating his hardening with a grunt of focus.

"Very confident, I'm almost impressed." The villain chuckled, though there was no mirth in his laugh "I'm curious to see how you will deal with this attack, I think you'll find it's a bit beyond you."

Before anyone could react, the villain pulled his hand upwards, thrusting it towards the sky before bringing it down to the ground in a powerful arc, the speed of the action was incredible, and it seemed to barely take an instant.

The affects were instantaneous, a massive shockwave flew our from the villain's fist, flying off of him in every direction with the sheer force of his strike. The attack also sent an enormous ripple through the ground, sending chunks of concrete and dirt flying outwards from where the villain stood, apparently completely unphased by unleashing such a devastating attack.

As soon as the wave reached me, I was flung from my feet, unable to do anything to resist the sheer force of the attack. I could barely see the forms of my fellow rescuers being thrown away by the attack as well, though they quickly disappeared from sight in the cloud of debris. As the ground rushed towards me, I held my hands in front of my head, hoping to lessen the impact.

Then everything went black.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_I was unsure about including the first OVA initially, as I felt it didn't really add a lot to the story and was only really made for the sake of it. After writing this my opinion hasn't really changed, and I'm sceptical as to whether or not this will really add anything to the story overall._

_That said, it does serve as a nice buffer between the USJ and the Sports Festival, and I like having a Chapter or two of downtime between arcs in order to make the pacing a bit more steady. As well as that, I had several people asking if I was going to include the OVAs and the movie or not, and I was aware that people wanted to see them._

_At the very least, this section won't drag on for too long, and should all be wrapped up by tomorrow. Also the second OVA and the movie are far better and more important to the story than this OVA, so that's something to look forwards too._

_I'm glad to see that people are interested in the 'Lie' and the Underground Hero stuff that I was hinting at last Chapter, I feel like I'm going out on a limb with that, and I hope the risk pays off. It's the part of the story that I'm most excited to write about, and I think it will be my most unique contribution so far._

_And now to answer some reviews:_

_Amelia831: All for One's plans are always going to be concerning for anyone involved, and I'm glad to hear that you're interested in what's going to happen to Shinso. I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the story, and I hope you continue to enjoy it as we go on._

_Shade: Thank you for the kind words, I hope that you enjoyed this next addition to the story. Shinso's an interesting character, and I agree that it will be interesting to see him interact with other characters in MHA._

_Evergone the Great: I'm aware that the last Chapter was light on events, but I thought it was needed to set up future plot threads. You're correct in saying that MHA is a fun anime, even though it is sprinkled with its darker moments. I'm definitely planning on exploring a darker side of the universe, but don't worry, it's not going to get super dark or stray away from the MHA canon tone too far._

_StandupSitdown: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the Chapter, I certainly enjoyed writing something different for a change. Nezu's definitely a fun character, and this certainly won't be his last appearance. I'm glad to see that you're interested in the thing I'm hinting at, I personally can't wait to reveal it. Good catch on the typo, that's been fixed._

_Alexanderjuarez499: I'm not too sure of the delay of Shinso's power in canon, and as far as I'm aware there has never been a definitive number shown in canon. For the purposes of this story I'll probably say that people have the respond within a minute or so, otherwise Shinso would be insanely overpowered._

_That's about all for now, thank you all for reading, and I'll see you tomorrow for the conclusion of this OVA._


	22. Chapter 22- Rescue Training: Part 2

Chapter 22- Rescue Training: Part 2

* * *

I felt the impact of my landing instantly, though it thankfully wasn't as hard as I was expecting, it still hurt like hell. After a second or so of shock, I tentatively tried to pull myself up, noting that nothing seemed to be severely injured. As soon as I stood up straight, I managed to focus myself into the situation a bit better, though there was still some fuzziness in my head.

That fuzziness was instantly cleared when I witnessed what had become of the area around me. An enormous crater now dominated a large piece of the Ruin Zone, every building in the vicinity having been utterly wiped out by the destructive power of the villain that we were arrayed against. I could already see the figures of some of my other students standing up tentatively as well, and it seemed that nobody was terribly injured by the enormous shockwave.

Adrenaline kicked in straight away, and I leapt up from my landing place and began to sprint towards the source of the crater, hoping that nobody was seriously injured by the villain. Aizawa and Thirteen were still absent, and they were likely too injured to assist in subduing this villain, at the very least they could probably call or signal for assistance from the rest of UA.

Bakugo was engaged against the villain, seemingly unphased by the raw power that the villain had displayed in destroying the equivalent of a few city blocks with a single punch. In a strange way I admired Bakugo's sheer grit, and the fact that he was seemingly willing to go into any fight no matter how low his odds of victory were, though it's entirely possible that he thought he could win on his own, regardless of how stupid that idea was.

The villain still held Todoroki by his vest in one hand, and his other was swinging through the air to swat Bakugo's explosions out of the air with contemptuous ease. Bakugo's manoeuvrability was keeping him out of the villain's grasp for the moment, but I doubted that that would be the case forever.

I kept on moving towards the edge of the crater, and I could vaguely see the outlines of some of the other students that had recovered from the blast standing on the edge as well, though they were seemingly unsure of how to proceed with the battle in front of them. As I surveyed the crater I noticed a group of my fellow students standing with each other, clearly planning out some kind of counter-attack to bring down this villain.

I clambered down the edge of the crater as quickly as I could manage, jogging over to join my classmates. Now that I was closer to the group, I could see which students were present: Mineta, Uraraka, Tsu and Iida stood in a half-circle around Midoriya, who seemed to be in the middle of one of his typical muttering spiels. This habit of Midoriya's was a strange one, but it always seemed to produce useful results, so I suppose it was a useful skill.

"Oh!" Midoriya said, noticing my presence "Shinso! You're here! With your Quirk we could…"

Midoriya's voice trailed off again into unintelligible muttering, and I was left standing around waiting for whatever it was that Midoriya was going to propose. The awkward silence that surrounded the group was occasionally punctuated by the distant sound of an explosion as Bakugo's bout with the villain continued.

"Midoriya." I cut in, not willing to spend the rest of the day listening to mumbling "Do you have some kind of plan?"

"Yeah! I do." He replied, looking between the five of us that surrounded him "here's what we do…"

It was an impressive plan, and I could certainly see the logic in it, though it relied on Bakugo keeping a cool head, which is something that I frankly thought to be impossible. Midoriya had assured me that Bakugo would pick up on the plan, and I didn't see any reason to keep arguing the point, so I resolved to follow the plan that Midoriya had set out.

My part in the overall scheme was simple, I didn't have any superhuman strength or ability to capture the villain, so there wasn't really a place for the overall scheme. Instead, I would dive into the fight, trying to trick the villain into replying to me, triggering my Quirk and ending the fight straight away. If that didn't work then I would fall back on my training and just keep the villain distracted long enough for the rest of the class to do their thing and get the villain out of the fight.

I admit, my confidence in the plan waned a bit when I got closer to the villain, he was a lot bigger than he looked from a distance, and he moved with a speed that I would think impossible given his size. I shrugged my shoulders in resignation and kept moving towards the fight, with neither combatant having yet seen me.

"Hey!" I called out to the villain as soon as I was close enough to be heard "Don't you want to fight me as well?"

The villain didn't respond, instead he simply lunged towards me with a fist outstretched, the limp form of Todoroki still clutched in his other hand.

Oh well, Plan B it is then.

I leapt out of the way of the attack and readied myself to counter whatever came next. The momentum of the villain's attack carried him past me, though he recovered quickly from the motion. This villain was likely far too strong to be hurt by any punch or kick I could throw at him, so continuing to dodge seemed like the better option.

"The hell are you doing here eyebags?" Bakugo yelled, sprinting towards the villain in what seemed to be an attempt to get straight back into the fight.

"Eyebags?" I muttered, before I remembered that Bakugo only seemed to call people by nicknames. Whatever, it wasn't the worst thing I've been called, and it was admittedly accurate.

"I didn't want to let you have all the fun." I shot back, feeling some adrenaline-fueled bravado in my mind. "There's no way that I'm letting a fight like this pass me by."

Bakugo just grunted and kept running towards the villain, his expression as wild and feral as ever. I just shrugged again and ran to join him, wondering how my life got to the point where I was following somebody like Bakugo into a fight against a villain that had just levelled a small city.

The villain reacted to the renewed assault against him with the same kind of cocky defence that I had seen him employing against Bakugo, and he seemed just as capable of defending himself against two opponents instead of one. Bakugo used his explosions to propel himself high above the villain's head, spinning around to face his target with both hands raised and ready to unleash powerful explosions. The villain turned to face Bakugo with impressive speed, and I tried to capitalise on this opening by kicking at the back of the villain's knee, hoping to hamper his impressive mobility by sending him to the ground.

As soon as my leg made contact I realised that I had made a mistake, the villain's leg was as hard as steel, and I was left feeling like I had just kicked a brick wall. The villain must have noticed the attack though, as he spun on his heel and unleashed a punch straight towards me.

I leapt out of the way of the surely devastating attack, the wind rushing past me that the punch had created was almost enough to send me falling back to the ground, but I somehow managed to keep my footing and stay near the villain. Bakugo tried for another attack now that the villain's back was turned to him, but a contemptuous swipe of the villain's hand caused Bakugo to be thrown back by the wave of air pressure that caught him in mid air

This brief reprieve in the fighting caused some of the other students to jump in, and the villain was suddenly ensnared in a large net with tape wrapped around it, an action I assumed to be the work of Yaoyorozu and Sero. For a moment the villain was still, clearly surprised by the sudden restraints that had been applied to him, and I foolishly let myself think that he might actually be stopped, if only briefly. Of course, I was proved wrong, and the net and tape were shredded into tiny fragments by a single motion from the villain.

He attacked again, this time lunging towards me with his fist pulled back, obviously ready to unleash one of his devastating punches. I lunged underneath the swing this time, ready to counter with a strike of my own, banking on the idea that the villain can't be totally invulnerable over his entire body.

It was admittedly quite shaky logic, but hey, I'd had worse ideas in the past.

This time my punch landed squarely, striking the villain in the left side of his abdomen, and I could feel that this hit had connected much more solidly. I heard a slight gasp of pain come from under the villain's hood, and he staggered back from the force of the hit. It took a moment for the villain to recover from the strike, and he was only shaken from this slight daze when Bakugo unleashed an explosion to the back of his head.

This seemed to shake the villain from his slight daze, and he reacted by grabbing Bakugo's outstretched hand without even looking for his target. He threw Bakugo straight towards me, another blast of compressed air accompanying the sheer force of the throw. I barely dodged the flying student, and I briefly lost my footing due to the sudden dodge, causing me to stumbled backwards from the sheer force that the villain exerted.

Bakugo sent out a few explosions behind himself in order to counteract the throw he had been subjected to, and he came to a stop right beside me, panting heavily from the exertion of the fight, a fatigue that I felt as well.

"This is ridiculous." I muttered in between gasps for air, wiping some of the sweat from my forehead "If they had a guy this powerful before why didn't he show up during the attack?"

"Who cares?" Bakugo spat, his hands sparking with small explosions "If this is too hard for you, get out of the way and let me handle it!"

"As if." I shot back, unwilling to let myself get talked down to "You sure you don't want to tap out? You can leave this to me."

Bakugo chuckled to himself, and I realised that that was probably the first positive emotion I had seen from him.

"He's got a weak point, right here." I pointed to the spot on myself that I had struck the villain in "It's the only time I saw him react to any attack we made."

Bakugo smirked again, and dropped into his usual fighting stance, though I did see him give a barely perceptible nod of his head. I readied myself to fight again, and the figure of the villain came back into sharp focus. We ran forwards, ready to engage with the villain again, and then I noticed a blurring green shape fly past me.

"That's the signal!" I shouted out to Bakugo, and I saw his face twist in frustration when he realised that he was expected to take part in Midoriya's plan.

Midoriya used one of Mineta's orbs to attack his glove to Todoroki, letting him grip the unconscious student and fly out of the villain's grasp, his speed enhanced by Uraraka, Iida and Tsu. Once Midoriya was clear of the villain he slipped his glove off and unleashed one of his finger-shattering attacks against the villain, subjecting him to a wave of force.

For a moment it seemed that the villain might be able to resist the attack, but Bakugo swiftly leapt in front of the villain to shatter that possibility. The explosive teen released a pair of enormous concussive blasts right into the villain's chest, sending him flying straight into a perfectly-placed piece of debris that was covered in purple orbs.

* * *

It was over, Bakugo's final explosion and Mineta's orbs had firmly bound the villain to a large chunk of debris, and all of his moving and squirming did nothing to loosen the hold of the sticky spheres on his body. Everybody in the class watched with bated breath for a few seconds, all of them as convinced as I was that the villain could still escape and continue to wreak havoc.

This tension slowly dissipated until it had disappeared completely, and a collective sigh of relief came from the entire class, and the knowledge that this threat was defeated permeated the group. Some sat down right where they stood, others found a suitable piece of debris before resting, and a few more made their way towards fellow classmates, or tended minor scrapes and injuries.

I watched closely as Bakugo stalked towards the villain, his hunched posture and clenched fists indicating that he was far from satisfied with the result of the bout. I was fairly content to let him take whatever measures he wanted to ensure that the villain was 'defeated', and I was sure that somebody would step in before he did anything serious.

I saw Bakugo raise a hand to do something undoubtably dramatic to the villain, with the captured foe twisting and moving even more dramatically, somehow intimidated by the prospect of Bakugo's explosions even though he was shrugging them off without issue a few moments ago. The villain gave one last movement of his head, trying desperately to escape before being struck by Bakugo. This last motion was marginally more successful, tearing the mask off of the villains head, revealing bright blonde hair and a familiar smile…

God damn it.

It was All Might.

Is this some kind of cosmic joke?

I was glad that everyone else nearby was too busy being shocked and surprised at All Might's sudden appearance to notice my own expression, as I wore a slack-jawed face of utter disbelief and exasperation, the kind of intense emotion I tried my best to avoid displaying.

Several of the students that were near All Might ran over and assailed him with a variety of reactions, ranging from surprise, to anger at being tricked. Bakugo's hands flashed with small explosions while Kaminari and Ashido seemed to be displaying a dozen contradictory emotions at once. It was understandable that some of the students would be annoyed at being tricked into thinking that there was an attack at the USJ so soon after one had actually taken place.

The purpose of this trick was clear enough though, the teachers of UA were clearly trying to teach us a lesson about mental fortitude and staying vigilant at all times. Heroes could be attacked without notice at any time, and it made sense to instil a wariness in us in order to make sure that we didn't get complacent. Aizawa had already beaten this lesson into my head during our training, though his idea of teaching me to stay wary involved knocking on my bedroom window at 2 AM and seeing how surprised I was. I was still a little irritated at that particular stunt he had pulled, though the following lecture about staying vigilant at all times was burned into my memory.

With the commotion settling down slightly, I paced away and sat myself down on a nearby chunk of debris, my ribs still aching from the grazing strike that I had received earlier. The sound of quiet conversation nearby alerted me to the fact that Thirteen and Aizawa were being confronted over any knowledge that they held of the deception that had taken place, though the Space Hero was unconvincingly denying the whole thing.

Aizawa was typically silent towards the accusations, not bothering to dispute or argue with the students that were still annoyed by the events that had just transpired. As I turned to see Aizawa walk away from the group of students, I could briefly see his expression under the bandages he wore as he briefly caught my eye. The expression seemed to be appraisal, but as soon as he realised that I had seen him, his expression turned dark again and he quickly walked away, leaving me confused once again.

I couldn't help but feel that I had gone against what he had wanted in some way, but any effort to think of what I had done yielded nothing, and I was getting more and more frustrated with myself.

* * *

My body still ached as I made my way through the halls of UA, heading towards the exit after an intense day of training. I walked along with Shoji and Tokoyami, Tsu having headed home early to take care of her family. Tokoyami and Shoji were discussing the day's events, and I could tell they were both still a little irked by All Might's stunt earlier today. I was still bothered by Aizawa's attitude during the day's events, and I was still unable to figure what I had done to cause this downturn in his demeanour towards me.

_Hitoshi Shinso, report to the Principal's Office immediately._

The static burst of the school intercom surprised me, doubly so when I heard the contents of the message. I turned towards Shoji and Tokoyami in confusion, only to see that both of them looked just as confused.

"It seems I'm wanted elsewhere." I shrugged, trying to play off my own nerves "I'll see you tomorrow."

I got muttered farewells in return, and I turned on my heel and walked away from the pair, trying to remember where the staff offices were. When I was vaguely sure of their location, I moved through UA as quickly as I could manage, not wanting to keep the Principal waiting for whatever it was he wanted me for.

When I made my way to the door, I was overcome with another wave of nerves, one that stopped me from knocking straight away. I had only been contemplating how unnerving Nezu was a few days ago, and the idea of coming face-to-face with him wasn't my idea of a good time, especially given the strange absence of any information on the Principal. I eventually managed to steel my nerves enough to knock, though it was a little harder than I would have liked.

"Come in." The softly-spoken voice came from the other side of the door.

I obliged, swinging open the door and entering a surprising plain-looking office, still feeling nervous. The room was strangely unadorned, with none of the flourish and eccentricities that I would have expected from the Principal of UA. Everything was kept with an air of professionalism, and if I didn't know better I would say that the office was hardly used at all. There was a large wooden desk on one side of the office, and the centre of the room was dominated by a pair of large couches, upon one of them sat-

"Ah, it's good to see you Shinso." Nezu said, sounding calm and upbeat "Please, take a seat."

Feeling more than a little uncomfortable, I shuffled over to the opposite couch and sat down, trying to be as formal and polite as I could manage. There was a beat of silence as Nezu stared at me, and I managed to hold his gaze, sensing that I was being appraised in some way. Nezu eventually looked back down towards the table, holding out a small mug in his… paws?

"Tea?" Nezu asked, though I felt the insistence behind the offer.

I nodded my thanks and took the mug, sipping at the drink before placing it back down on the table. The tea was amazing, but it still didn't shake the feeling I had of being studied, and I was put in mind of a lab animal in some kind of strange experiment that it couldn't even comprehend.

"You're probably wondering why I've asked you to meet me here." Nezu's eyebrow raised as he spoke into his mug of tea "Hmm?"

"I'm assuming that it's due to the circumstances of my admission." I asked, raising an eyebrow and keeping my voice level in order to appear more composed than I felt.

"Very good." Nezu said, his eyes glinting in what I could only perceive as anticipation, which was a little unnerving "Aizawa mentioned that you were very perceptive, I'm glad to see he wasn't exaggerating."

"It's the only reason I can think of as to why you'd want to see me." I returned, sipping at my tea as the verbal spar wound on "It's the only thing that sets me apart from the rest of my class."

"Maybe…" Nezu trailed off, and I could see him thinking on what to say next "But I think you underestimate yourself; I like to think that every student has something that sets them apart from the rest."

"So why am I here?" I asked, confused as to why I was in my current situation if not for my unusual admission into UA.

"I admit that it was your admission that first piques my curiosity." Nezu replied, sipping on his tea again "But it was your personal profile that really caught my attention."

"How so?" I shot back, feeling a little more confident in this verbal spar we were engaged in "I can't say I've lived a particularly interesting life before I got to UA."

"That may be so, but that doesn't mean that there aren't interesting things in there." Nezu's eyes glinted again, and they seemed to sparkle in anticipation "Tell me Shinso, do you hate your Quirk?"

I wasn't expecting such a dramatic and direct question, and it caught me by surprise. I was about to tell Nezu that I obviously didn't, but I tried to think properly about the question, and I knew that Nezu might be annoyed if I just brushed his question off.

It was true that my Quirk had been the cause of issues and trouble in my life before, and there were days that I cursed the fact that I had been given such a power. Everyone around me seemed uneasy at the mere existence of my Quirk, even though they had never even seen it in action. Indeed, there was a period of about 2 years of my life where I didn't use my Quirk at all in the blind hope that it might go away.

But when I started training for UA, all of that changed. Aizawa had taught me how valuable and versatile my power was, and how it could be a potent tool for heroism. And my closest friends at UA had treated me no differently for my Quirk, and they even talked about how useful they thought it was.

"If you had asked me a few months ago, I might have said yes." I finally responded, though it took me a few seconds to gather up the courage to talk "But no, I don't hate my Quirk."

"I see." Nezu said, his voice sounding a little surprised, though I imagine he likely knew what answer was coming "I imagine that you had to deal with being judged for your Quirk before you came to UA?"

"Of course." I narrowed my eyes, not content on being on the back foot of this exchange anymore "But you already knew all of this, didn't you?"

"Very good." Nezu smiled again, though this expression was more than a little menacing "I must admit, I thought that Aizawa might have been exaggerating when he spoke about you, but now I think the opposite might be true…"

"So you came to judge me for yourself." I raised an eyebrow, a purely rhetorical question of course, but I was still interested to see how Nezu would respond.

"Indeed, and I must admit I've been rather surprised by what I've seen." Nezu finished the last of his tea, and stared straight at me "Thank you Shinso, I think that's all I require of you for now."

The change in Nezu's tone of voice was revealing, from conspiratorial whispers that we were conversing in back to his normal upbeat tone of voice. This change clearly indicated that our little verbal spar was over, and so I bowed and left the room, intent on returning home and catching some rest.

Nezu was certainly an interesting figure, and while I was still intimidated by him, I found our conversation revealed quite a lot about UA's enigmatic principal. I still had a lot of questions on my mind, questions that I intended to find the answer to.

* * *

_Nezu didn't take his eyes from Hitoshi Shinso as the young man left the room, making sure that the student was truly gone before he indulged his habit of pondering his thoughts aloud._

_"__What an intriguing specimen." Nezu murmured, using the same language that human scientists had once used when speaking about him "I can see why Aizawa was interested in you, Shinso."_

_Nezu had taken it upon himself to examine Hitoshi Shinso after his conversation with Aizawa a few days ago, one that had affected the Principal of UA more than he would admit. It was regrettable that his conversation with Aizawa had escalated to the point of an argument, but given the nature of their discussion it was unsurprising that emotions were so high._

_Nezu was often accused of being emotionless or callous towards those under his charge, as his superior intelligence often gave him a rather dispassionate view of those around him, especially given his past in a human lab, which he admitted he still held a slight grudge from. In truth, Nezu was deeply invested in the students under his care, and he considered it a unique privilege to train the next generation of heroes, both because it was a point of personal pride, and because it satiated his own curiosity on humanity._

_It was because of this care that Nezu found himself arguing with Aizawa over the idea of training one of their students to be an Underground Hero, mainly due to the consequences of going into that line of work. Nezu was one of those few people outside of the Underground Hero community that was trusted with their secrets and knowledge of the way that they operated, though he was aware that they still kept some of their secrets from him. That wasn't an issue for Nezu, and he considered figuring out such secrets to be a good test of his intellect._

_It was knowledge of these secrets that made Nezu reluctant to see one of his students engage with this section of Hero society, knowing the mental stresses it could place on a person. He recognised the necessity of the work, but that didn't mean that he liked the idea of somebody so young getting involved in it._

_It was because of these doubts that Nezu decided to meet with Shinso in person, to see if he could gauge the young man's mental state and see if he was fit for the dark line of work that it seemed Aizawa had planned for him. Though their conversation was short, Nezu found it to be rather illuminating, as a being of his considerable intellect was able to glean facts from expressions and tone as easily as from words, and Shinso's subconscious reactions had given away a great deal._

_Nezu was no stranger to holding a grudge against human society, and he had expected to see something similar in Shinso, and while that bitterness was present to an extent, it was far more subdued than Nezu was expecting to see. It seemed that his short time at UA had already given Shinso a sense of optimism that hadn't been present in him for quite a long time, and the sight of this optimism made Nezu rather reflective. _

_He had read Shinso's file, and while it was clear that he was academically and physically impressive, it spoke to social alienation and loneliness that was still unfortunately common in today's society. Despite that, it seemed that Shinso had bounced back rather remarkably, and had found his footing within UA rather quickly, even if he still had reservations about his Quirk and its usage._

_But there was something else, beyond Shinso's carefully-hidden optimism and slight resentment towards the treatment he had received regarding his Quirk. Nezu could see what Aizawa could see in him down, though he was loathe to admit it, he had already shown that he was a natural at Underground Hero work. He knew he was competent in the practical sense, but Nezu was far more interested in the mind, and the brief glimpse he had gotten into Shinso's thoughts was most illuminating._

_The conversation had set Nezu's mind at ease somewhat regarding Aizawa's plans for the young student, though he was still far from certain about whether or not the whole thing was a good idea. It was also clear that Shinso was unaware of the plans that Aizawa had for him, even though he had spoken about being a more unknown Hero that wasn't concerned with personal fame, he clearly didn't know the wider implications about what that really meant for him._

_Nezu still had reservations, and it was clear that he would have to spend more time thinking before he came to a reasonable conclusion._

_The Principal of UA High reached for another pot of tea and continued to think, his incredible intellect still uncertain on the fate and future of one of his many students._

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Isn't exam time just the best? I can't remember the last time I felt this tired. Still, it's all over for now. All of the other edited Chapters are up now as well, there isn't anything massive being changed besides more Underground Hero hints, but I think the Chapters have come out better._

_On another rewatch I realised how short and low on content the OVA was, and so I added the scene with Nezu to make this Chapter a suitable length. I hope it didn't detract from the story too much, and hey, it was an opportunity to drop more hints about my future plans for this story, which is always fun._

_For those who didn't catch it, the bit where Shinso actually slightly hurts All Might is meant to be him unwittingly hitting All Might right in his injury, which would probably have a bit more of an effect on him, I hope that that came across properly in the chapter._

_The Sports festival begins tomorrow, and will probably run for about a dozen or so Chapters, maybe more, depending on how things pan out. I'm excited to finally get to it, and I hope you all are too._

_That's pretty much it for now, as always thank you for reading, and I'll see you tomorrow_

_And to answer some reviews:_

_OnlineOverlord15: It's one of the OVAs that were released separately from the anime, its canon status is a bit dubious, but I think it was fun to include anyway. I'm glad that you enjoyed the Chapter, and thanks for your continued support._

_Raven Mordrake: Do you have a source for that? I've been looking around a bit and couldn't see this anywhere, and it seems a little strange to me that that would be the case._

_Emrys Akayuki: The scene was written from Shinso's perspective, everything is from his perspective unless written in italics, which are third-person scenes outside of his perspective. I hope this didn't impede your enjoyment of the fic too much._

_Guest: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you enjoy this new addition. I'm chalking this up to surprise and lack of opportunity on Shinso's part, though it's truthfully because I didn't want to end the encounter right there and then._

_Red Rain: I'm really flattered by the praise for this story, and I hope that you continue to enjoy these new additions. I'm glad to hear you enjoy the friendship group I chose for Shinso, I was a little apprehensive about the characters I chose but it's good to see that the feedback has been positive about these characters and their relations._


	23. Chapter 23- The UA Sports Festival

Chapter 23- The UA Sports Festival

* * *

Homeroom came around again fairly quickly, and we were once again faced with the heavily bandaged figure of Aizawa, who stood facing the class with his usual bored stoicism. The last whispers of chatter died out as we faced down our homeroom teacher, wondering exactly what it was that he would unleash upon us today.

"The UA Sports Festival will take place in a few weeks." Aizawa announced suddenly and without ceremony "You need to start preparing yourselves for this event, as it will shape your future as a hero."

I felt a little stupid for forgetting such an enormous event in UA's calendar, I had watched the UA Sports Festival for every year for as long as I could remember, and I would always idolise the various students that performed amazing and seemingly impossible feats under the eyes of the entire nation. The Festival was one of the biggest events of the year, and most of Japan would be tuning in to view the festival.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you how important for your careers that this event is." Aizawa continued, casting an eye over the class "Most Pro Heroes in the country will be scouting out this event, if you are able to catch their attention then that could be an enormous boost to your career once you graduate."

There was a slight wave of chatter from this announcement, and the general buzz of being noticed by Pro Heroes was high, everyone knew how important this was. I felt a little bad for not getting caught up in the buzz, but I knew that my circumstances meant that I wouldn't be the ideal candidate for Pro Heroes to pick up on. As well as that the idea of advertising my Quirk to so many people made me nervous, I knew that if the mechanisms of my Quirk were public knowledge then I would be at a major disadvantage in any future fights.

"Is UA sure that this is the best idea?" Yaoyorozu suddenly asked, silencing the chatter in the room "We only recently had a villain attack, are they not worried about security?"

"The UA faculty thinks that this is a good way to show the strength of our security measures." Aizawa droned on, not looking up from the papers in front of him "We're calling in Pros to help with patrolling the arena as well, so any attempt at an attack will be stopped quickly."

It made sense, and I agreed that it was fairly unlikely for villains to stage an attack on such a public place that was sure to be filled to the brim with Pro Heroes, especially after such a recent attack. The whole thing still didn't sit well with me though, and I couldn't help but feel a little paranoid, though I couldn't be sure if that was a good thing or not.

"This Sports Festival is one of the biggest events of the year." Aizawa continued on, his droning voice cutting short the chatter that had arisen from the room "The Olympics used to be the mainstay of sporting events, but the appearance of Quirks has caused them to shrink to a shadow of their former glory, and the world has turned to the UA Sports Festival as the replacement."

Well, no pressure then.

The rest of Homeroom passed quickly enough, Aizawa told us that we would have a lightened work load in order to have more time to prepare for the event, and he gave us other small pieces of information that would help us to prepare. Soon enough, the class had come to an end, and Aizawa moved to leave after telling us to go train in the free lesson that we had next.

I stood from my desk alongside the rest of the class, moving as quickly as I could while not outright running to the exit. Aizawa's temperament still hadn't improved whenever I was around, and I was still left with the voice in my mind telling me that I had done something to annoy him. Though he had brushed off my last attempt to find out what I had done, I wasn't about to drop the subject entirely. Aizawa had done a great deal for me in getting me into UA and preparing me for its challenges, and I didn't want to let him down through whatever actions I had taken.

My pathway was immediately blocked by a sight I hadn't expected, an enormous crowd of students stood outside of the classroom, all of them looking in to the room with expressions ranging from interest to something approaching resentment. When they saw me, their expressions all shifted towards me, and their sudden scrutiny was a little alarming, though I made sure not to show any weakness on my expression, lest they misinterpret what they were up against.

Bakugo's crass comments from somewhere behind me confirmed my own suspicions, these students were here to scope out the competition for the Sports Festival, and they were intent on seeing what we were made of. As expected, they had come to see Class A in particular due to the USJ, and it seemed that our class had already gained some level of notoriety after only a few weeks of being at UA. This was major nuisance, fame was something I knew to avoid, and the idea of being put in the spotlight due to Class A's reputation didn't sit too well with me.

From the conversations going on around me, it seemed that the majority of students around me were from the General Studies stream, and it was clear that they held a small amount of resentment for the Hero Course. I couldn't blame them for that, I knew full well that I would be in one of those classes if it wasn't for an enormous stroke of luck, and I would surely be resentful of the Hero Course if my life had taken a different path. The situation made me reflect for a moment, though I felt that I had earned a place for myself in 1A, I knew that I wouldn't have had a chance to get into the class if not for Aizawa's timely intervention.

That last thought reminded me of what I was doing in the first place, so I ignored the many sets of eyes on me and started to move through the crowd, looking for wherever it was that Aizawa had slipped away to. I cut through the crowd with a mixture of gentle nudges and muttered sarcastic comments, I wasn't looking to annoy the students that surrounded me, but I had better things to do than listen to them mutter about 'Lucky Hero Kids'.

Luckily, their attention was drawn by the twin spectacles of Bakugo threatening his way through the crowd and a student from Hero Class B loudly challenging Class A to a battle during the festival. Class B was an interesting outlier, and though I had barely seen any of them in passing, they were logically on the same level as us, so they would likely be a significant threat during the festival.

I made my way out of the back of the crowd and kept moving, though I was mainly operating on instinct, as I had already lost sight of Aizawa in the crowd of people. Walking past a few more doors yielded nothing, but I kept moving in the hope I'd run into him.

I clearly wasn't paying attention though, as the next thing I knew, I'd walked straight into someone.

A flurry of paper flew to the ground, and I reflexively moved to gather them up, muttering a stream of apologies as I felt my face start to burn, just what I needed…

I handed the still slightly disorganised stack of papers back to whoever it was I had bumped into, and I finally looked at them, hoping that they weren't too annoyed. It was a girl I vaguely recognised as a member of class B, though I had only even seen the class from a distance. She had short silver hair that covered one of her eyes, and a tired expression in her visible eye that certainly mirrored my own. She was… well, she was surprisingly attractive, and I tried my best to crush that errant thought as soon as I was able to process it. Where the hell did that come from?

"It's no trouble, really." Her voice was fairly flat, though it did sound slightly friendly "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Thanks." I chuckled, trying to disarm a little of the awkward tension that I was fairly sure only I was feeling "I admit I was a little distracted as well."

"I concede that point, I suppose the recent announcement has played on all of our thoughts." She continued, taking the papers from my hand and holding them under her arm "Our coming trials will surely be vexing, but it is our lot in life to struggle to overcome them."

I was silent for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what she had just said. I realised that she must have been referring to the Sports Festival, and I silently thanked Tokoyami for preparing me for this conversation, as this girl's verbose mannerisms were fairly similar to his.

"I guess so." I replied, and I couldn't help but feel I was speaking a little too plainly "I'm afraid I don't have any insights to share, UA is certainly fond of throwing surprises at us though."

"Indeed, I suppose that we had best prepare for the worst." The girl continued; her voice so grim it put me in mind of a funeral procession "Oh! Where are my manners?" Her voice brightened slightly, and she appeared to liven up "Reiko Yanagi, it's good to meet you."

"Hitoshi Shinso." I responded to the bow she had given me with my own, and the encounter became at least a little more relaxed "I assume you're from Class B?"

"That's right, and I take it you're from our counterpart class." I nodded in confirmation, and she continued "It seems that some sort of rivalry has already established itself between our two kingdoms."

Yanagi looked over my shoulder, and following her gaze behind me showed Bakugo getting into a fairly spirited shouting match with a few of the Class B students, and Kirishima was caught between pulling Bakugo away and loudly announcing his manliness at how he declared war on the entirety of UA.

"That's Bakugo." I chuckled, turning back to face Yanagi "Try not to take it personally, he's like that to everybody."

"I see…" Yanagi sounded a little apprehensive, which was perfectly understandable given the scene that was unfolding behind me "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance Shinso, and I wish you the best of luck at the coming Festival."

"And to you too." I inclined my head slightly in recognition, dimly aware that I had lost sight of Aizawa during this exchange "I'll see you at the festival."

She smiled slightly and nodded, and we walked past each other, heading towards our respective destinations. I was irritated that I hadn't managed to catch up to Aizawa, but meeting Yanagi had been interesting in it's own way, and not just because it was the first time I had talked to somebody from Class B. She was… there was something that-

"Oh! You should know something else!" Yanagi called out, and I turned to face her "Try and steer clear of Monoma from our class, he's a little… obsessive. To say the least."

I nodded my thanks and waved my farewells, though I wondered what exactly could be so bad about a Class B student that it warranted a warning from someone from their class. Yanagi had clearly seen Bakugo loudly challenging and threatening everyone nearby, and the thought of there being someone similar or even worse from Class B wasn't the best thing I had heard all day. I don't think my ears could take the strain of two Bakugo's at once, I could almost feel the migraines setting in already.

I suppose it doesn't matter for now anyway, I would find out whatever was going on in a few weeks. I still had most of a free period left, and getting a head start on my training didn't sound like a bad idea.

* * *

The two weeks of schooling and training vanished far too quickly, and before I knew it, the day of the Sports Festival had arrived, and all of the hype around the event had reached a fever pitch. Throughout the last two weeks, I had sparred with Shoji, Tokoyami and Tsu on several different occasions, though I had made sure to keep some of my techniques to myself, knowing full well that we could likely clash during the Festival. I had worked myself to exhaustion the day before, knowing that I would struggle to sleep otherwise, though I had somehow still managed to wake up feeling tired, just my luck…

I left home with well-wishes at my back, and the knowledge that my family would be cheering me on from home was a comforting thought, though it did little to lessen the nerves that followed me at every step. Even on the bus that took me to the arena, every conversation that I overheard was about the impended Sports Festival, and it was strange to hear people talking so reverently about an event that I was going to take part in in just a few hours.

The stadium itself was crowded beyond belief, and civilians and Pro Heroes mingled openly as they made their way to the seats of the arena, clearly eager to get to their seats and watch the event. Various stands sold different types of merchandise and food, and there was even a stand taking bets on the outcomes of the various stages of the festival. A cursory examination of the Class A board showed every student to have odds of exactly 1/20, likely because we were all complete unknowns to the outside world.

Moving through the crowd, I spotted the side entrance that would get me access into the participants area of the stadium, guarded by Snipe and another Pro that I didn't recognise. I was waved through the door without even showing my student ID, Snipe presumably recognised me from USJ. The first year rooms were right at the other side of the hallway that I walked into, and I shuffled by a trio of third year students that were conversing in the middle of the hallway. One of the trio, a tall blonde boy with a muscular frame was talking about the possibility of his clothes falling off during the event. I was about to process that remark, but I shook my head and kept moving, unwilling to engage with whatever rabbit holes of madness presented themselves to me.

The Class B room was before mine, and as I walked by I could hear one of the students giving a dramatic and fairly aggressive speech about how they were going to beat Class A and claim the title of superior hero class for themselves. The reaction from the rest of the class was fairly muted, but the crazed voice that gave the speech was clearly unperturbed by this fact, and he continued to talk about how great they were. I made a mental note to avoid whoever it was that was speaking, and moved to the changing rooms at the end of the corridor.

A sign affixed to the door of the changing rooms informed me that in the interest of fairness, Hero Class students would be unable to use their hero costumes and would have to wear the normal UA physical education uniforms. It was a fairly frustrating restriction, but both understandable and fairly expected, as every student I had seen so far was wearing these uniforms, and I doubted that UA wanted to give the Hero Course such a drastic advantage. It was still a pain though, as my capture tools (if they had been replaced yet) would have been extremely helpful.

I changed as quickly as I could from my casual clothes into the UA Sports Uniform, throwing my clothes into a locker and moving to leave the changing room again. The UA Sports Uniform wasn't as comfortable or well-fitting as my Hero Costume, but it was light enough that it probably wouldn't restrict my movement during the tasks of the day.

I entered the Class A room to see who had arrived so far, and saw that about half of the class were already changed and ready for the Festival, stretching and warming up in preparation for whatever awaited us. The usual overprepared students were here in the form of Iida and Midoriya, and they were joined by Uraraka sitting around one of the tables in the room. Todoroki was there as well, though he typically sat in one of the corners of the room, he seemed to prepare his own company, which I could certainly respect.

At the other end of the room sat Shoji, Tokoyami and Tsu, and they all turned to catch my attention as I entered the room. I moved to sit with the three of them, and we settled into light conversation about the coming event, with everything from speculation on coming events to combat styles being talked about. Shoji lamented the fact that he had been sent a spare sports uniform than the one he normally used, which meant that he had to tear the sleeves from the shirt before he was able to wear it. The relaxed conversation helped settle my nerves, and it was easy to feel the wave of enthusiasm washing over me, though I knew the anxiety wouldn't fully vanish. I was dimly reminded of the visit we had made to the café a few weeks ago, and I made a mental note to suggest a visit after the Festival.

As we talked and prepared, the rest of the class filtered into the room, and soon enough all twenty of us were present and ready. The tension in the room was palpable, and the sound of the crowds filling up above us only added to this feeling, leaving the majority of the room feeling a little unsettled.

The tension was only broken when we all received the message to get to the entrance tunnels for the start of the Festival, and the class began to move out of the room. Todoroki had cut through the chatter with a conversation he was having with Midoriya, and it had quickly caught the attention of the whole class as they watched two of the strongest students in Class A square off against each other. I couldn't make out the specifics of what Todoroki had said, but the gist of his statement was that he believed himself to be stronger than Midoriya, and he was going to prove it by beating him during the Festival.

The declaration seemed to surprise the class, and a few of the students seemed shocked at such a dramatic declaration from the normally withdrawn Todoroki. I had noticed something else though, the cold focus in Todoroki's eyes was an expression that I had only ever seen in his father in his few TV appearances, and the expression set me on edge. In a sense, Todoroki was right, he was probably the strongest student in the class, and that was something I had no trouble admitting.

But the sheer _arrogance _of his words had annoyed me in a way I couldn't fully articulate, but I knew it put me in mind of all the swaggering idiots I had put up with in Junior High. And it was because of that fact that I moved to say something when he had finished his conversation with a surprisingly resolute Midoriya.

"Todoroki." I called out, my fellow student turning to face me with the same cold focus in his eyes as before "Don't get overconfident."

"What do you-" He started to reply, but I hadn't finished talking.

"We're all aiming for the top here." I shot back, gesturing to the rest of the class "Don't think that any of us will stand by and watch you win, you'll regret it if you do."

Todoroki looked as though he was going to reply for a moment, but he turned and left the room without another word, his stony-faced expression making it difficult to tell if my words had gotten through to him at all. I did notice that there was a slight clearing in the group of students were the two of us had stood, but the class began to move again soon enough, though they were more quiet than before.

"Where did that come from Shinso." Tsu asked, suddenly standing beside me "I don't think I've ever seen you so worked up before, ribbit."

"I don't know." I chuckled, though my answer was completely truthful "I can't stand it when people look down on everyone else."

"I guess I see what you mean." Tsu replied, her usual finger tic marking contemplation "But I'm still surprised you said anything, you're usually so calm."

"I guess it reminded me of something I didn't like." I finally answered, I was fully aware of how unhelpful that answer was, but I had no desire to delve into my own life at this moment "It's more of a warning anyway, if he just focuses on Midoriya, someone else could take him down and he wouldn't even see it coming."

Tsu just nodded, and I could only assume that that indicated some kind of agreement, or at the very least that she didn't have anything else to say. I had gotten better at reading Tsu's emotions and scant expressions as time went on, but I still struggled to read her sometimes.

Whatever else was going to be said had to be cut short anyway, we had started to make our way down the final tunnel that led into the stadium proper, and the light shone down the tunnel with some kind of abstract symbolism that I didn't care to contemplate. The cheers of the crowd were almost deafening at this point, and every step forwards seemed to get harder and harder as I drew closer to the entrance.

For some moment, a piece of advice from one of Aizawa's lessons came to mind just as I crossed the threshold. I was fairly sure that it was from one of the stealth training lessons I had gone through, though it could have just been about Hero work in general.

_Don't draw too much attention to yourself, it only harms your chances as a Hero if you do._

Well, shit.

* * *

"We all know them as the class that survived an attack by villains, and I'm sure you'll agree when I say I can't wait to see what they're capable of!" Present Mic's voice boomed down the tunnel, the echo of his voice bouncing around the tunnel "Give it up for Hero Class 1A!"

I followed the rest of my classmates into the light at the end of the tunnel, thrusting my hands into my pockets to hide the slight tremor in my movements.

The stadium was huge, and while I had fully expected this to be the case, nothing could really prepare me for the reality of how large the stadium was, and standing at the bottom of the stadium was a humbling experience. The stadium was packed to the absolute brim, tens of thousands of civilians and Pro Heroes and the sheer size of the crowd caused my breath to catch in my lungs. The reality of thousands upon thousands of spectators looking at me and the rest of my class fully set in, and the knowledge that millions of people would be watching from around the country only made the revelation more terrifying.

The sound of Present Mic announcing the various other classes of the first year was drowned out by the sound of my own heartbeat in my ears, and I had to force myself to breathe in order to settle my nerves. Eventually, the entirety of UA's first year classes were gathered before the stage that sat in the centre of the stadium. The R-Rated Hero, Midnight was giving the opening speech and whatever she was saying was disrupted by the sound of Mineta and Kaminari having some kind of freak-out right next to me.

At the end of her speech, Midnight announced that Bakugo would be giving the inauguration speech, and to pledge the start of the Festival. It seemed that he was given this job due to him getting first place in the Entrance Exam, which I suppose made sense, though anyone who had encountered Bakugo even once would probably have known better than to let him speak in front of a massive crowd. I could only wonder if whoever was broadcasting this event had the bleeping tool at the ready for whatever was about to be said.

Surprisingly enough, his speech was both fairly short and non-profane, to the doubtless relief of dozens of executives around the country. He had simply proclaimed that he would come in first and beat anyone else at the Festival. This, of course, had drawn a great deal of protests and anger from the other classes, as they were clearly taken off guard at Bakugo's supreme confidence and clear lack of concern over politeness. I could only smile slightly at their protests; they have no idea how lucky they were to get away as lightly as they did.

Once the protests and shouting had died down, Midnight explained the nature and rules of the first event, outlining how it would proceed. It was a fairly simple affair, an obstacle race around the outside of the stadium that contained several 'hazards' that would be used to impede the progress of the students. The length of the race drew some groans from a few students, but I had run longer when I was training, so I at least had that in my corner.

Of course, it was the 'hazards' that were cause for concern, and the ambiguity of that word was certainly not encouraging. 'Hazards' could mean anything from a few ditches to military-grade defences, and knowing UA, I was willing to bet that the latter option was more likely. The other interesting caveat was that students were free to fight against other students, as the school was clearly taking an 'anything goes' approach to the race. While the freedom to fight and defend myself was certainly helpful, it was an obvious trap to spend the whole race fighting while other people overtook you, so it paid not to get involved in protracted fights with other students.

What was more interesting was what that rule implied, as Quirk usage was clearly allowed in the race, not just to improve performance in the race, but to delay or attack other students. That meant that Brainwashing was a fully viable and approved options, and while some part of me didn't like the idea of using Brainwashing in something as banal as a race, this was the UA Sports Festival, and success here meant a lot more than just winning a race. While I knew that I wasn't aiming to catch the attention of every hero in the stadium, I still wanted to put in a good showing; and part of me wanted to prove myself, to show that I deserved a place in the Hero Course, even if I hadn't beaten the exam like everyone else.

Anyway, Brainwashing was on the table, though using it sparingly was the most sensible thing to do. I would have worried about how people would perceive me if I started using my power during the event, but everyone else would be going all-out, and so would I, consequences be damned.

Midnight gestured towards a large gate behind all of the assembled classes, and it gradually began to unfold in the most bizarrely complicated and convoluted opening sequence I had ever seen, the whole thing seemed to disassemble itself as it shifted open. Why UA couldn't have just used a regular gate was beyond me, but I guess it contributed to the spectacle of the thing in some way.

Beyond the gate was nothing but a darkened tunnel, though I could just about see some blurry terrain through the tunnel. Whatever awaited us was surely going to test everything we had learned so far, and a few curveballs were likely to come as well, and part of me knew that trying to guess what was going to happen was futile. As I waited for the starting signal to be given, I realised that Shoji, Tsu and Tokoyami were all standing around me, and we briefly shot glances to each other.

"Interested in a truce?" I asked, half-jokingly but also trying to gauge their reactions "We'll do better if we push through together."

"Of course." Shoji replied, eyes narrowed and legs ready to run at any moment.

"Count me in." Tokoyami added, he was clearly readying himself as well, the dark swirling at his chest indicating that he was ready to unleash Dark Shadow at a moment's notice.

"Ribbit." Tsu confirmed, her expression was the same as ever, though I could see the determination in her eyes clear as day.

I made a mental note to thank the three of them once this was over, I was struck by their loyalty and friendship, and I couldn't help but feel that I didn't appreciate them for it enough. That was for later though, for the moment, I simply readied myself, knowing that an explosion of chaos was going to happen at any moment.

"Let the UA Sports Festival Begin!"

* * *

_Author's Note_

_At long last, the UA Sports Festival begins!_

_It's gonna be a fun arc to write, and I've spent a fair bit of time planning out the fights in the arc, as there's gonna be a fair bit of variation. In canon, Shinso went out in the first round of fights, and rest assured that he's going to get a better showing this time._

_The Obstacle Race is tomorrow, and after that there will be the Cavalry Battle, which will probably be split into two chapters as I want to avoid making it feel too rushed. I've mostly finished planning out the fights that will compose the conclusion of the tournament, and I can't wait to get to them._

_I'm also happy to announce that we passed 100 reviews and 100 favourites on , which is a huge milestone and I'm so grateful for all of you that took the time to review, reading reviews is by far my favourite part of doing this, and I always enjoy reading comments and critique._

_For those of you who follow this story and not my profile, I've recently published two new MHA stories. The New Heroes follows a whole class of OC characters and Underdogs follows Class 1B, and I'm really looking forwards to continuing them both. I'd appreciate it if you checked the stories out, they're only on the first few chapters currently but the stage is being set._

_Another announcement is that this story will move to updating on Wednesdays and Sundays, as I'm trying to prioritise regular uploads rather than catching up on other chapters and burning myself out. The attempts I had made to write in excess of a Chapter a day for months on end were a sure-fire way to kill my love for this story, which was something I desperately didn't want to happen. So expect a more regular schedule from now on, and the full schedule for all of my stories will be on my user profile._

_Thank you all, and I'll see you Sunday._

_And to answer some reviews:_

_Raven Mordrake: Ah yeah, I remember seeing that page in the manga. It's a bit of a strange one for me since the manga volumes show a lot of costumes, but Midoriya's is the only one that gives prices. I think that it kind of implies that Midoriya's costume is homemade, and it shows Inko giving Midoriya the jumpsuit as a gift. I agree that it's a little ambiguous though, but for the purposes of this story I'll say that UA provides the costumes._

_Donovan2771: Yeah that's pretty much what's going to go down, the Internship Arc will be the first Arc where I vary quite wildly from the canon timeline. Nothing in canon will be changing, but the focus of the arc will be away from Midoriya and Stain, and the arc will be an original story instead._

_Alexanderjuarez499: Well, being a Hero in this universe is already quite a dangerous occupation, and that's a known and accepted fact in story. I'm not sure how events like this will affect Shinso, but I'll be interested to see how things pan out._

_Shade: I'm glad you liked the nickname; I was pretty happy with it too. The fight was pretty fun to write, as I had to have Shinso put in a good showing while fighting a foe that he obviously couldn't beat. The Nezu section was fun to write as well, and Nezu's quickly becoming one of my favourite characters to write, and he'll probably be more prominent in the future. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well._

_PasiveNox: I'm glad to see that you enjoyed the story, and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story as it continues. Thanks for reviewing._

_Hubba Bubba: Wow, that's certainly some high praise, and I'm flattered that you enjoyed the story so much and wrote this review. Hopefully this next chapter continues to live up to your expectations, thanks so much for your support._

_CrAzyVIBeSMyduDe: Yeah it's a pretty strange thing for UA to do, and the OVA showed it being All Might's idea, which is even stranger. It was meant to help the students with their mental fortitude though, and I guess I can see the logic in that._

_Bambi7: I've been pondering Quirk evolutions for Shinso for a while, and it's been quite difficult to come up with something that's a good evolution while not making Shinso's already powerful Quirk totally overpowered. I've got a few ideas kicking around though, and it will probably be a while until they show up._


	24. Chapter 24- Obstacle Race

Chapter 24- The Obstacle Race

* * *

As soon as Midnight announced the start of the race, I sprinted as fast as I could towards the opened gate, adrenaline and determination pushing me forwards as quickly as I could manage. Shoji and Tokoyami ran beside me as well, and Tsu hopped as fast as we could sprint, so she had managed to keep pace as well. All around us, the other students from the disparate classes of UA all made their way towards the gate as well, Quirks propelling people ahead of the main crowd.

It was clear that the Hero Course was going to pull ahead from the outset, and sure enough the two classes that made up the heroics path had already put a gap between them and the other classes. The relentless physical training that we had been through had made us more prepared for an event like this, and class 1B had presumably been through a similar level of conditioning. It seemed that there was a gap in attitude as well, General Studies seemed unenthused for the most part, and the Business course weren't participating at all, instead opting to set up some kind of betting pool at one edge of the arena. The Support classes clearly intended to participate, but they were entering the Festival with the intent of demonstrating their equipment, so they often resorted to bombastic advertisements instead of taking the most direct path to victory.

The gate led into a large tunnel that guarded the path to the rest of the course, and it immediately became apparent that this gate was an obstacle in its own right. There were far too many students to fit through the passage at once, and so the open sprint into the obstacle course had quickly turned into a crush of bodies, every student trying to push through to enter the rest of the course. I was suddenly reminded of the chaos that had ensued when the alarm activated in response to the press' entry into UA a few weeks ago, and the crush of people was much more intimidating when I was stuck in the middle of it.

I was near the front of the group thanks to my initial sprint, but it was still difficult to get through, especially given the fact that everyone was pushing other people backwards as they moved forwards. After a few more seconds of struggling, Todoroki had clearly decided to sidestep the issue of the struggle by using a pillar of ice to push himself forwards, while at the same time freezing the ground to trap everyone else in place.

I had managed to see this coming, enormous swathes of ice were Todoroki's signature, and it seemed that his desire to win had committed him to a singular focus. It seemed inevitable that he would try something like this, so when the ice came towards me I leapt over the freezing ground. I still had to contend with slipping on the ice, but at the very least I wasn't frozen to the ground. Todoroki was clearly trying to make good on his earlier promise to win the Festival and prove his own strength to Midoriya and the rest of the class, and it was clear that he had the raw power to back his words up.

I at least had a good enough sense of balance to avoid falling over, so I tentatively started to move forwards, doing my best to keep my footing without losing too much ground to Todoroki. All around me, other students were finding their way out of the ice: Ashido melted through, Tokoyami summoned Dark Shadow and tore his way out of the sheet of ice, Shoji simply pulled his legs upwards in an impressive display of strength. Tsu had used her legs to break the ice, though she looked at little worse for wear already, though she had mentioned to me that cold temperatures would slow her down.

My avoidance of the ice had given me a few seconds of time to pull ahead of everyone else as they broke out of the ice, though the sight of Bakugo rocketing overhead reminded me of how tentative my advantage was, and Todoroki was still far ahead. Bakugo, Todoroki and Midoriya all seemed to be gunning for each other, and they pursued each other with a single-minded focus. With some luck, they would be distracted by each other enough to make them sloppy, and I might be able to sneak by and claim the win for myself.

Aizawa's words about laying low and avoiding the spotlight flashed through my mind, and I found myself receiving a fairly swift reality check as soon as I remembered where I was. This Festival was one of the most viewed events on television every year, millions of people would tune in and it was broadcast on every major station in Japan, as well as being broadcast internationally. If I drew too much attention here it could jeopardize everything I had done so far, and if knowledge of my Quirk was broadcast to the world, I might as well retire here and now.

But another part of me wanted to keep pushing forwards, to do everything that I could to win and prove everyone that had ever told me that I would have no chance of being a hero wrong. Besides, Aizawa had practically been ignoring me for a few weeks now, and he didn't even care to tell me what I had done to annoy him so much. So there was something within me that wanted to ignore everything he had taught me and push forwards to win the Festival.

I knew that I couldn't let whatever anger I was feeling right now to jeopardize my future career, so using Brainwashing wasn't an option, at least not too overtly. I might have been annoyed with Aizawa and myself, but that wasn't an excuse to throw away everything I had worked so hard to achieve. But I wasn't going to stop trying in the Festival either, performing well here could lead to a high-level internship, which was the first major step on the road to being a successful Pro.

With that little moral decision out of the way, I continued moving forward, hoping that my moment of hesitation hadn't cost me too much progress against my opponents. The ice that Todoroki had spread across the arena had turned the first stretch of pathway beyond the gate into an ice rink, with frozen ground covering all of the path that I could see ahead of me.

Aizawa had given me a few pointers on navigating terrain like this, and I managed to get along by keeping my centre of gravity low and making motions that were somewhere between walking and sliding. It was awkward and undignified, but it got me through the field of ice at a respectable rate, and I managed to avoid any falls. I had gotten close a few times, but I managed to keep going.

Present Mic was providing commentary for the event, and although the speakers were placed inside the stadium, they were loud enough that his comments were still clearly audible. I had mentally tuned out the commentary until I heard a second voice coming from the speakers, and I realised the voice was Aizawa's, who had somehow been roped into providing supporting commentary. I had no idea how Aizawa had been convinced to do this, but it was fairly amusing, and something I could use to irritate him somewhen.

As I turned the corner onto the next part of the course, the ice finally ran out, and I was back on firm footing again. I was ready to get back to making quicker progress on the race when I noticed a shadow passing over me, and a look upwards stopped any notion of progress in my mind.

Several enormous robots stood in front of me, placed around a large clearing in the path in such a way that they would intercept any student that attempted to pass them by.

"The zero-pointers from the exam?"

"You're joking!"

"There are so many!"

The Hero Course exam had _these _things as opponents?

I was suddenly very grateful for the fact that I had managed to avoid the exam, but this also meant that I had no idea how these machines acted or what was the best way to take them on. Todoroki had already charged forwards with a wave of ice, and Yaoyorozu and Kaminari were also preparing their own attacks to damage or disable the robots. Unless I could punch the robots to death without breaking my arms, I had very little chance of dealing meaningful damage to them.

Oh well, I guess I had to play to my own strengths.

There weren't any openings between the robots, they stood in a line and an attempt by Mineta to get between them resulted in him getting rather violently launched backwards by the robots hands. A few more seconds of observations made my path clear, and with only a moment of questioning my own sanity, I moved forwards.

The robots lower halves were reminiscent of tank treads, and as I sprinted towards the robot, I could see that the treads were spaced apart in a similar manner to a ladder. Once I was close enough, I leapt forwards and gripped onto the metal treads, thankful that the gaps between the treads were wide enough to fit my hand between. As soon as I was confident in my grip, I scrambled up the rest of the treads as quickly as I could manage, scrambling upwards before the robot could move and shake me off.

Once I reached the top, I gripped onto the green metal casing above the treads and pulled myself upwards, landing on the robots lower half with little ceremony. The armoured shell was sloped enough that I could walk up it, and I moved as quickly as I could without risking falling from the machine. The robot seemed to have noticed my presence, and it swung its armoured limbs downwards in an attempt to dislodge me from its chassis.

I rolled away from the swinging limbs and started running, knowing that I would likely be removed if I spent any more time on the robot. Fortunately, the machine was rather slow and cumbersome, so I was able to get around any more swinging limbs and make my way to the other side of the robots chassis. I swung down from the armoured treads and landed on the hard ground, only slightly winded by my impromptu robot climbing session.

A look over my shoulder confirmed that the robot wasn't interested in pursuing me further, presumably its programming only compelled it to disrupt students that tried to pass it by, and it would let people go once they had passed. As interesting as that was, it didn't really matter right now, all that was important was that I had gotten through the first obstacle.

A few students were still ahead of me, but the majority were still contesting the robots, so I still had an advantage over my competitors. With that thought in mind, I started to run forwards again, wondering what exactly UA had planned for us after the next stretch of pathway.

* * *

Admittedly, I hadn't seen this one coming.

I knew that UA was fairly well off when it came to funding, and they clearly had a great deal of talented staff and an abundance of resources, but I was still surprised by what they had managed to pull off here.

The obstacle that was in front of me could best be described as a ravine, with pillars of stone scattered throughout the abyss, and steel cables connecting the pillars together in a web of pathways. The best way to navigate the obstacle would be balancing across the cables, though Bakugo and Todoroki both flew overhead, propelled over the obstacle by their respective Quirks.

I was relatively confident in my own sense of balance, and the sight of a crowd of students behind me spurred me forwards, as if I waited any longer I would lose the advantage I had managed to gain in the previous obstacle. I leapt onto the first cable and walked forwards as quickly as I could manage, keeping both of my arms outstretched to maintain my balance as best as I could manage.

My progress was slower than I would like, but it was at least consistent, and the constant breaks given to me by the various stone pillars meant that I didn't have to spend all of my time struggling to keep my balance. I was about halfway through the obstacle when I felt the cable shift underneath me, and I stopped in my tracks to keep my balance. I felt the shift underneath my feet several more times, though looking behind me revealed that there wasn't anybody else trying to cross the cable at the same time as me.

I was about to continue moving when I felt the shifting get even stronger, and I reflexively looked down to keep my balance when I saw the source of the strange shifting right beneath me. Tsu's blank face was staring straight up at me from underneath the cable, and it took all of my willpower to jump backwards in shock. Everything made sense all of a sudden, Tsu was using her natural mobility to hang underneath the cables and navigate across them quickly, and she was making progress by crossing underneath cables that other students were using, saving time in the long run.

"Hi Shinso." Tsu deadpanned with her usual tone, clearly not thinking that the situation was strange in the slightest

"Hi Tsu." I murmured back, still a little shocked by her sudden appearance and unsure what to say, "How's the course going?"

"Oh, you know." Tsu replied, and there was a glint of mischief in her eyes before she continued "Hanging in there."

"Did you just…" I was almost at a loss for words, how did she deliver such a bad pun with a totally straight face?

I was about to question my own sanity again when I realised that I was still standing on the cable, and I moved towards the pillar as quickly as I could manage without losing balance, careful to avoid stepping on Tsu's hands as I moved forwards. Once I was back on relatively solid ground, I took a few seconds to regain my sense of balance, noting when Tsu landed beside me without a single shift in expression.

"This course is pretty intense." Tsu spoke up, drawing my attention "I guess we should be used to that by now though."

I hummed in agreement, looking behind me to see how the rest of the students were doing, though I knew that Bakugo and Todoroki at least were already ahead. I could see Shoji and Tokoyami were making good progress from the other side of the ravine, and they would likely finish this obstacle about level with me at their current pace. The other main standout was one of the Support Class students, who was using rocket-powered boots to leap across the pillars of rock. The rest of the students were tentatively making progress across the first few sets of cables, but I knew that they would get used to the ordeal and start speeding up soon enough.

"We should go." I said to Tsu, who was still standing beside me "The rest of the group will catch up soon."

I heard a 'ribbit' from Tsu in response, which I took to be an answer in the affirmative, and the two of us moved forwards separately, careful to avoid any unwanted collisions. The rest of the obstacle was fairly easy to deal with, I had already gotten used to dealing with the obstacle earlier, and fortunately enough UA hadn't placed any last minute surprises on this section of the course.

Once I made it to the other side of the ravine, I almost felt like kissing the ground in relief, but a desire to retain some of my dignity stopped me from stooping quite that low. Tsu finished the obstacle a few seconds later, and we met up with Shoji and Tokoyami after, the pair having crossed the course on the other end of the ravine. They both seemed a little tired by the ordeal so far, but it was clear that neither of them were willing to give in yet.

It seemed that our truce still held, and after a moment of recovery the four of us set out together, moving forwards once again. Present Mic's commentary told me that there was only one obstacle left until the course was over, I could only hope that it was something manageable.

* * *

Sometimes I wonder why I let myself foolishly believe that UA won't keep throwing surprises at me.

In retrospect, a minefield seemed obvious, though in the head of the moment I was shocked by what lay in front of me.

Bakugo and Todoroki were still fighting up ahead, and although they were making good progress their mutual sparring had slowed them down somewhat. I reminded myself that I wasn't trying to get to first place in this race, though it was infuriating to see such an opportunity in front of me with no way to take advantage of it. I just needed to focus on the obstacle in front of me, though Aizawa's training hadn't included how to avoid a minefield, which was knowledge that I never thought I would need to possess.

Present Mic's commentary provided the comforting knowledge that the mines were simply a type of concussive explosive, releasing a wave of force when triggered, but nothing truly harmful. Aizawa's own commentary also mentioned that the last test was one of mobility rather than strength or resilience, though his droning comments didn't make the situation any less concerning.

Once I had taken a minute to observe the layout of the minefield, it was a less daunting obstacle than it appeared at first. The mines had been manually buried, and the piles of dirt that had been placed over the devices were visible if you spent enough time looking for them. I mentally plotted out a route as far as I could see before taking a breath of air and questioning my own decision making again.

Charging into a minefield ranked pretty high on my league table of stupid decisions, but I was committed now, and I had already moved into the danger zone anyway. I kept my steps as light as possible and didn't linger in one place any longer than it took to figure out where I would place my next step, so I ended up lightly leaping from place to place, my teeth gritted in focus and nervousness. A student a few metres away that had charged straight forwards fell victim to a mine, and I saw the wave of energy send them up into the air and crashing back towards the ground. I had noticed a small _click _coming from the mine about a second before it had blown up, so I did my best to keep my ears focused on that sound, which would hopefully give me time to escape if I noticed that noise nearby.

Thanks to all of the training I had undergone before and during my time at UA, agility wasn't an issue for me, and I might even say that it was one of my strongest attributes. I managed to leap through the minefield without many problems, though the occasional explosion behind me would shock me and almost throw me off the rhythm I had settled into.

Tsu was a little behind me, but her own jumps were sending her through the minefield at a decent rate, and each jump sent her over a series of mines. Shoji was to my left, and he was using his dupli-arms to detect the mines with enhanced eyesight, and he strode confidently through the area, his long stride keeping him moving forwards at a steady pace. Tokoyami was taking a more direct approach, using Dark Shadow to pull the mines out of the ground and clear his own path forwards. The four of us moved towards the end of the minefield with a single-minded determination, pushing past several other students who were taking a more cautious approach to getting through the explosives.

Only the sound of an enormous explosion and the sight of something flying overhead drew my attention from my own progress through the minefield, and a closer inspection revealed the flying object to be Midoriya hanging onto a piece of scrap metal. I would have been surprised if it had been anybody else, but Midoriya had shown a level of insane drive that bordered on totally ridiculous. I respected him for that in a way, but that didn't mean what he did was a good idea.

When Midoriya landed between Bakugo and Todoroki, he slammed the piece of metal onto the ground, causing an enormous explosion to engulf the three of them in a wave of concussive force. When the smoke from the explosion cleared, Midoriya was ahead, but Bakugo and Todoroki were hot on his tail, and the three of them rounded a corner and vanished from my sight. Midoriya's manoeuvre had cleared out an entire section of the minefield, and I leapt into the small crater he had created, knowing that it was totally safe.

The end of the minefield felt like an enormous relief, and not having to check my footsteps constantly let me start moving forwards at a normal pace again. I knew that this was the final obstacle, so I broke into the fastest sprint I could manage, pulling together every scrap of energy to get towards the finish line as quickly as I could manage.

There was only a short distance from the exit now, and there weren't any obstacles except for the other students, and even most of them seemed more focused on moving forwards rather than attacking their adversaries, afraid of losing progress. Tsu, Shoji and Tokoyami were only a few metres behind me, and although we had pledged not to attack each other, we were still in a race, so it was a desperate sprint to the finish for all four of us.

I rounded the corner ahead of me, and the gate that marked the finish line stood imposingly a few hundred metres ahead of me, the sight of the stadium through the gate was enough to give me a second burst of energy, and I charged forwards, any semblance of technique or energy conservation totally absent in my desperate sprint to the finish line.

The gate was getting closer and closer, and even the burning in my lungs wasn't enough to slow me down in the slightest. I couldn't help but think of everyone that had helped me get to this point so far: my mother, my siblings, Aizawa and the friends I had made at UA, they had all pushed me forwards to this point, and the idea of letting them down by giving up now was the worst thing in the world to me.

I passed under the archway with a final burst of speed, the sound of Present Mic's announcement filling my ears as I crossed the finish line and returned to the stadium.

"And in seventh place, its Class 1A's Hitoshi Shinso!"

* * *

_Back in the Shinso household, the three spectators cheered loud enough to draw the attention of the entire street. Tears of pride rolled down Jōnetsu Shinso's face as she saw her son standing in the stadium, and her other two children ran around the room shouting to the rooftops._

_Across Japan, jaws hit the floor as Shinso's former classmates watched the festival. There was a moment of disbelief shared between them all, was this really the same Shinso that they had known? He seemed so different from the withdrawn student they had known._

_Within the spectator's box, Aizawa watched with keen eyes as he saw Shinso cross the finish line. Acting like a reluctant commentator was the perfect cover to get a full view of how his protégé performed at the festival, and what he had seen so far had impressed him._

_There was still doubt in Aizawa's mind, did this mean that Shinso was truly ready for what was coming after the Festival?_

_He still wasn't certain, but nonetheless Aizawa kept his eye on Shinso the whole time, never missing a single detail of his young student's movements._

* * *

The noise of the cheering crowd was deafening, and only the frantic beat of my own heart drowned it out. Standing under the eyes of thousands of spectators should have been nerve-wracking, but it had the opposite effect. It was utterly intoxicating, and a part of me wanted to bask in the spotlight for as long as I could, but common sense prevailed in the end, and I moved aside before any of the lurking cameras could properly focus on me.

I heard Present Mic call Tokoyami, Shoji and Tsu directly after me, they had been hot on my heels for the final stretch, and yet I was happy to see that nobody else had managed to overtake them. The four of us shared a moment of jubilation at our performance, exhaustion was clearly hitting us all, but mutual pride kept any of us from falling to the ground right there.

Thankfully, UA had been thoughtful enough to put benches all around the perimeter of the arena, so we all retired to one of these sitting areas to watch the rest of the students make their way to the finish line. Several students came very soon after us: Kirishima and Sero came in barely thirty seconds behind us, and after that there was a steady stream of students from both Class 1A and 1B. According to the results table Midoriya had managed to come first, with Todoroki and Bakugo coming in second and third respectively. Ibara Shiozaki and Juzo Honenuki from 1B were after that, and although I didn't have much of a chance to see either of them in action, their results meant they must be pretty strong. Iida was the last one to come in before me, and although sixth place was an impressive ranking, he seemed to be beating himself up about it, presumably due to his Quirk's suitability for this kind of task.

The results kept coming in steadily for a while after, and expectedly every student was from the Hero Course, and 1B was seemingly lagging behind 1A by quite a bit. I had been pondering my earlier observations on 1B when around a dozen of them all finished the course at the same time, towards the end of the forty students that Midnight announced would be passing onto the next level. She was being rather evasive about what the next level was, though whether this was a deliberate move by UA or just Midnight expressing her usual… personality was unclear.

It seemed what I had noticed earlier was true, Class B were deliberately hanging back, and the way that this group all passed at the same time confirmed this theory. I wasn't sure what their plan was, but if I had to guess they were letting 1A pull ahead so they could observe our Quirks, which would give them an edge in the following rounds. It was a smart strategy in retrospect, and I was a little irritated that I hadn't come up with it myself.

The group that passed together all seemed to be receiving a lecture from a blond-haired student that alternated expressions between smug confidence and fits of maniacal laughter, which clearly freaked out everyone around him, given that they all dispersed away from him after a minute. I wondered idly if this was the Monoma character that Yanagi had warned me of a few days ago, speaking of which, I saw Yanagi in the middle of the crowd of students that had finished. She seemed to have noticed me as well, sending a small wave my way before turning and leaving before I had the chance to respond in kind.

Midnight's voice cut through the stadium, announcing that the latest student that crossed the line would be the last one to pass onto the next round, with forty students making it to round 2. I expected that the last student would be Aoyama, as it seemed likely that the Hero Course would take up all of the slots, and he was the only person from 1A that I hadn't seen yet. It was fairly surprising to see that the last student was from the Support Course, and Present Mic's announcement identified her as Mei Hatsume.

Aoyama crossed the finish line a few moments later, looking totally exhausted and clutching his stomach in pain that must have been brought on from overuse of his Quirk. I felt a twinge of sympathy for his predicament, but I knew that there would likely be many more students eliminated in the next round, and I had to keep myself focused on my own victory, everything else was secondary.

Speaking of which, Midnight called on the students that had passed the first round to gather around the stage, where she would then announce the next part of the festival. I stood from my seat and walked towards the stage, wondering what I would be faced with next. The forty students that had passed the first round gathered around the stage with a mixture of enthusiasm and trepidation, wondering what would be coming next.

UA had already put us through a fairly intense first round, and I was certain that whatever was coming up next would be even more trying.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_The obstacle race was somewhat strange to write, as although it's a nice spectacle, it isn't very important to the Festival when compared to the Cavalry Battle and the fights. As well as that, Shinso's non-physical Quirk means that he can't do a huge amount of impressive things during the race. And yes, I'm aware that there are usually 42 places available for the Cavalry Battle, but I cut it down to 40 since I had no intention of bringing Sato back and 41 is an awkward number for teams, so unfortunately that meant that Aoyama didn't quite make the cut._

_Still, I did what I could to show Shinso's progress and technique during the race, and I hope that I gave him a good showing and demonstrated how he improved. I also enjoyed having the opportunity to show how Shinso's friend group worked well together, and we'll be seeing more of this during the Cavalry Battle. _

_The Cavalry Battle will be two Chapters long, as it's a fairly long sequence and I want to do it justice. I've finished planning out the fight bracket for the final round of the Festival, and I'm looking forwards to writing these fights out. _

_I guess it's a good time to address the elephant in the room, the outbreak that's flaring up around the world is cause for concern for lots of people, and the closure of many universities, schools and workplaces around the world had most likely affected everyone reading this to some extent. As I'm a key worker and have exams and projects due soon, I've struggled a little for time recently as well. I hope that reading these stories has been a reprieve from everything going on around you, and I'll do my best to keep regular updates going in order to keep you all entertained during lockdowns. For this story, there will be updates on Wednesday and Sunday._

_On the subject of staying indoors, I appreciate that this is going to be a difficult time in a lot of your lives, and the reality of being stuck indoors for weeks on end will be stressful for a lot of you. To try and help somewhat, I've created a Discord server where you can come and hangout, and hopefully forget about the stress of the world for a bit. I'll try to be online as often as I can manage, and will be happy to discuss anything related to these stories or any other topic. Come and join if you'd like, the link is in my bio._

_That's about all for now, I hope you enjoyed this Chapter, and I'll see you later._

_And to answer some reviews:_

_PasiveNox: Thanks for the review, I hope you enjoyed this Chapter as well._

_Evergone the Great: Good catch, I had meant to put that the board was just for Class A, but somehow missed that out. Thanks for the correction, I hope you still enjoyed the Chapter._

_Donovan2771: I've never seen Attack On Titan, but I looked up the fight and you're right that there are some good techniques in there. The Internship Arc will have Shinso learn some new techniques though, so I'll keep your suggestion in mind._

_Blat23: I'm pretty sure that I'll have Monoma and Shinso clash later on in this arc, the potential for personality clash is too high. Thanks for reviewing, I hope you enjoyed this Chapter._

_Attackin: Mei will have the same role as in canon, but I'm still a little unsure on Sato. I removed Sato as I found him to be totally uninteresting, and so I'm not sure if he'll make an appearance at all. I'll keep him in mind though if something comes up._

_Raven Mordrake: Absolutely, the Internship Arc will be a big step up for Shinso in terms of gear and abilities, and stealth skills will be one of the focuses of his new skillset._

_Betacode79: I imagined that he would be fairly nervous in canon as well, it's just move obvious here since we have Shinso's inner monologue. This stories Shinso is also a little more emotionally developed than his canon counterpart, as canon Shinso shows a fair bit of resentment towards the Hero Course._

_Rex559: I'm afraid that that scene was Shinso hitting All Might in his injury, he'd have done precisely nothing against anywhere else, and I meant to depict it as a lucky shot. I hope this doesn't lower your enjoyment of the scene though._


	25. Chapter 25- Cavalry Battle: Part 1

Chapter 25- Cavalry Battle: Part 1

* * *

Midnight had been expressing her usual… personality quirks while drumming up suspense for the next game, and watching a Pro Hero act like a daytime television presenter while making gestures with a whip was certainly a surreal experience. Once everyone was gathered, Midnight gestured to a large screen that showed a spinning wheel, each segment of the wheel contained writing that must have been the names for the various games that we might be subjected to. The wheel eventually stopped spinning and landed on a certain segment labelled 'Cavalry Battle', which incited a storm of muttering from the crowd and the assorted students.

The premise behind the Cavalry Battle was fairly simple, teams of two to four students would form consisting of one 'rider' and one to three 'horses', and each team would be given a headband that was worth the points total of the team members. The game would run for ten minutes, and the objective was to grab the headbands of other teams to gain their points, and the totals would be put together at the end of the game to give the teams their score. The top four teams would move onto the next round of the tournament, with more places open to the teams below if the winning teams contained fewer than four people.

The stipulations of the game were interesting, Quirks were fully permitted and unrestricted, though it was forbidden to attack other teams with the intent of knocking the rider off of the horse. The rider could move freely from the horses, but their team would be disqualified if the rider touched the ground of the arena. Moreover, a 'horse' could be disqualified if they left the arena or were separated from the formation for more than ten seconds, and this last rule was the one that had caught my attention.

Midnight went on to explain that every students points value would be determined by their placement in the Obstacle Race, with the last place student being worth five points and every place higher would gain an additional five points. Midnight grinned before announcing that the student who came in first place would be worth ten million points.

Ten million points.

Midoriya looked like he wanted to shrink right into the ground, every eye was right on him, and he could clearly tell that every single student had targeted him for elimination in the next round. The lesson was clear, it was lonely at the top, and there would always be a crowd of people looking for any opportunity to bring you down and take your place on the apex.

I felt sympathy for celebrity heroes for the first time in my life in that moment, having that kind of attention focused on you must be hellish, and they must always be suspicious of their own fellow heroes. It was a consequence of the way that our heroic society worked, but it was a tremendous burden as well, surely heroes would be able to work together better if they weren't always gunning for each other.

Midnight then announced that we would have fifteen minutes to form teams before the game would begin, and that any students left after the end of the time would just be assigned to a random team. As soon as that announcement came my eyes met Shoji's, then Tokoyami's, and then Tsu's; and I received three nods in return.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Shoji, Tsu, Tokoyami and I stood in a circle, preparing as best we could for the next phase of the Festival. We had walked away from the crowds of students that were still looking for a team and found a place to strategize as best we could. Since we had been given fifteen minutes to find teams, we could use that time to come up with a plan of attack instead of wasting time wandering around and looking for team members.

"We need to figure out a plan of dealing with the other teams." I spoke up to my three teammates "They've got strong Quirks on their side, so we need a good strategy."

"Yeah"

"Of Course"

"Ribbit"

There was a moment of silence where I waited for an amazing plan to be presented, knowing that my teammates were smart and capable enough to figure out a way to win the match. The silence wound on for a few more seconds before I finally looked back towards my teammates, wondering why the silence was continuing, only to see three sets of eyes staring expectantly at me, evidently waiting for me to say something.

Oh.

"What do you have in mind Shinso?" Tokoyami spoke up first, finally breaking the awkward silence, though I wasn't feeling any less under pressure.

"You want me to plan everything out?" I asked, wondering when the three of them had reached this consensus.

"Why not?" Tsu deadpanned, her blunt delivery driving the point home "You came up with the plan that let us win the Battle Trial."

"And you talked me into coming with you at the USJ." Shoji added "Todoroki might not have been able to help All Might if we weren't there."

It was all I could do to not collapse into stammering denial, though having praise like this directed at me was still certainly uncomfortable. The knowledge that my three closest friends were putting their trust in me was simultaneously relieving but also somewhat stressful, as I owed it to them to come up with a plan that could take us to victory. I spent a few minutes pondering everything over before I spoke up again, hoping that my idea was good enough to get us through this next challenge.

"Tsu, you're the lightest and the most agile, you should be the rider." I spoke to Tsu first, receiving a blank stare in return "You can use your tongue to grab other headbands at a distance as well."

"Shoji, you're the strongest and most resilient, you'll be the front horse." I turned to Shoji next, looking up towards my stoic teammate "You should be able to carry all of Tsu's weight with only two arms, so you can still use the rest of your arms to fight and protect our team."

"Tokoyami, you take the left flank." I turned to my final teammate, who listened intently "Use Dark Shadow to keep enemies away so we don't get bogged down in a single place for too long."

"I'll take the right flank." I moved to myself finally, finishing off our formation "I can use my fighting techniques to protect that side, and if I get the opportunity, I'll hit anyone I can with Brainwashing."

I looked at my teammates to see if there were any objections to what I had proposed, but I only received nods from every direction, which was fairly uplifting. If we were all on the same page, it would make winning this event far more likely.

"Are you sure about using Brainwashing here?" Shoji looked straight at me, sounding more serious than usual "Millions of people are watching, and if knowledge of your Quirk gets out…"

Shoji didn't need to finish his sentence, the implication of his words were clear, and he nailed my main fear with a typical precision. He was right, and this fear was the reason that I hadn't used my Quirk during the Obstacle Battle, as I could have used Brainwashing to delay the students that ended up being ahead of me. But this time was different, I had three other people that were counting on me to pull my weight and do what I could to win, just as I counted on them. Deliberately restricting myself to excess could result in us losing this match, and I would have been responsible for ruining their chances of getting a good internship.

"I won't be too obvious with my usage, if I use Brainwashing to stun people for a few seconds, it will be enough of an opening to grab their points." I steeled my words as much as I could, trying not to betray my own internal turmoil "I won't be dead weight on this team, I can't drag you guys down by pulling my punches."

Nobody said anything again, but there was a feeling of acceptance I could sense from my fellow students, and that was more than enough for me. Silence wound on for several seconds more, as we all waited for somebody else to pick up the conversation first and continue our planning and preparation.

"How do we deal with the other teams?" Tokoyami spoke up again, casting a glance over his shoulder at the groups forming behind us "Our formation is solid, but we need a plan to deal with our foes as well."

I nodded in agreement and looked past my team at the rest of the groups, seeing which groups had started to form and who was still searching for opponents. As expected, most of 1A had coalesced around Todoroki and Bakugo, all of them clamouring for a chance to join either of the top students. Midoriya and Uraraka were talking with the girl from the Support Course, who seemed keen to join despite the danger of the ten million point headband. I knew better than to underestimate Midoriya, he seemed to have a phenomenal gift for turning disadvantageous situations to his favour, and he would surely try to do the same here.

"Going after the ten million points is suicide." I started, hoping that what I was about to propose wouldn't be rejected "Every team is gunning for that headband, and even if we can get it, we'll be targeted by everyone at once."

"Only one team can possess that headband at the end of the match." Tokoyami continued, his expression deep in thought "If we take that headband and get targeted, we could be left with no points at all."

"We don't have the offensive power of some of the other teams, so we couldn't survive all of that attention for long." Shoji picked up the train of thought, pacing around as he spoke "So we take advantage of everybody else being distracted."

"We look for teams to beat and grab their points when they're distracted by the ten million headband." Tsu finished vocalising the idea we were all working towards "If we use hit-and-run and avoid drawing too much attention to ourselves, we can gather enough points to enter the next round."

"Exactly." I grinned when I saw our plan taking form, it played to our strengths and had the added advantage of keeping me out of the spotlight "Four teams go to the next round, and only one of them can have the ten million. We only need to be in those top four teams to get to the next round."

"Very well, I agree to this plan, for I see the potential within." Tokoyami spoke first, crossing his arms and dipping his head in agreement.

"Count me in, let's get this game done." Shoji nodded as well, raising a clenched fist in anticipation.

"Sounds good to me, ribbit. I trust you guys to pull this off." Tsu didn't move at all, but her admission was enough to confirm she was ready.

"Well then." I grinned again, the wheels of our plan turning in my head. A childish idea came into my mind, and I extended a closed fist into the middle of our circle "Let's show them what we can do."

Shoji, Tokoyami and Tsu all put their fists in the centre of the circle, and the team was ready.

* * *

The remainder of our preparation time was taken up with more planning and tactics discussion, every second gave us an edge over our opponents that were still looking for a team to join. Once the time was elapsed, we were all told to get into formation and take our place on the edge of the arena that sat in the centre of the stadium. We were placed in a circular arrangement, so each team was equal in distance from the centre of the square stage.

Shoji had placed his two lower hands behind his back for Tsu to stand on, and she had gripped his shoulders for more grip. Shoji still had his middle and top sets of arms free to fight or create new appendages with his dupli-arms, and Tsu's light weight combined with Shoji's strength meant that he was barely slowed by the additional weight on his shoulders. Since Tokoyami and I didn't have to worry about holding Tsu up, all we had to do was place a single hand on Shoji's back to stay in formation, giving us enough freedom to move and fight without fear of disrupting the formation.

I cast an eye over the rest of the teams to see how our opponents had arranged each other. As expected, Bakugo and Todoroki had ended up as leaders of their own teams, with the former team up with Kirishima, Ashido and Sero; and the latter being carried by Yaoyorozu, Iida and Kaminari. Midoriya was also leader of a team, and Ojiro had joined him along with Uraraka and Hatsume. The last 1A team was lead by Mineta, who was being held up by Koda and accompanied by Hagakure and Jiro, the latter of which didn't look too pleased by her team leader. At the very least Mineta was wearing his headband around his neck to prevent an unfair advantage, lest his spheres end up sticking to the headband.

The 1B teams were full of people I didn't recognise, but I made sure to keep a close eye on them anyway, as they had the potential to be the wildcards in the coming match. Unlike my classmates, the Quirks and capabilities of 1B were a totally blank space in my mind, and they could throw out any kind of unexpected surprise whenever we confronted them.

Tsu was handed her headband by a service robot, and she tightened it around her head, ready to defend the thin strip of fabric at a moments notice. Our team scores had been calculated and displayed on a large scoreboard, and Midnight had announced that the board would update as headbands were gained and lost by the various teams. I scanned the board to remind myself of the teams and their scores, and I saw our own team displayed with our current points total.

Team Asui: 650 Points

We were actually one of the most highly-pointed teams from the outset, given that all four of us had finished the race with high scores. This probably made us bigger targets for some of the other teams, but it also gave us a head start in gathering the points we needed to pass onto the next round. We just needed to stay alert for any attempts to have our points stolen, this game could turn after a single change of points, and the uncertainty made me nervous.

"Are you ready?" Midnight called out to the crowds, with a resounding road of approval filling the stadium.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"Begin!"

As soon as the game began, the teams that were arrayed around the stadium all charged forwards, ready to begin the next few minutes of fighting and competition. As expected, all of the teams moved towards Midoriya, intent on grasping the winning headband, seeing it as a golden ticket to getting into the next round. The speed of their attack was impressive, and Midoriya's team was quickly surrounded with barely a moment to react or move out of the way.

We moved forwards as one, circling on the edge of the conflict to search for any weakness or distraction in the teams that charged straight towards the most valuable headband. Shoji chose our direction, and he kept our movement slow and purposeful, careful not to overextended or expose the back of our formation to another team.

"Watch the teams that are going after Midoriya." I called out to my teammates "Anything you can gather on their Quirks or plans will help us out."

There were murmurs of assent from the rest of my team, and we spent a minute watching how our own classmates acted, as well as gathering what information we could on the Quirks of Class 1B. I chided myself for daring to think that Class 1A might have an advantage due to our experience at the USJ, 1B had passed the same exams we had (well, I hadn't, but that wasn't really the point), and their Quirks were just a diverse and powerful as the ones that my classmates exhibited.

Midoriya's team escaped the net closing around them with a burst of smoke and fire, the smoke obscured them briefly, but I could soon see them sailing through the air and towards an empty patch of the arena. The Hatsume girl from Support must have been allowed to give her gear to her teammates as well, and knowing Midoriya, he had planned to use this gear to evade his opponents and protecting his headband.

"Support Gear." Tokoyami muttered darkly, seeing this new advantage that an opposing team held.

"Annoying, but we can work around it." I replied, looking at the gear the team had strapped to them "Those boots can't have much fuel, otherwise they'd use them and Uraraka to stay in the air for the whole match."

We continued observing the chaos around us as the battle wound on, with several headbands already changing hands, shifting the scoreboard around somewhat. We were in fourth place now, and it seemed that Team Midoriya still had control of the coveted headband. We needed to start gathering our own points before we got pushed out of the top four, and that meant finding a team that still had a headband.

"There." Shoji gestured towards a team of two 1B students that were a little further from the combat than the rest of the teams, though they were clearly looking for an opening to return to the fray.

"Hey there." I forced the most irritating smile I could manage to my face, drawing the pair's attention "Would you mind if we borrowed that headband?"

"Go to hell." The insectoid rider snapped back, metal blades extending from his forearms.

"Yeah! Hell to go!" The equine girl shouted along, her accent and butchering of her speech throwing me off for a second.

The pair charged forwards to meet us in combat, apparently not deterred by this disadvantage in numbers. I let them get as close as possible, knowing from experience that Brainwashing had a brief window to be activated before it would 'expire', and I would have to say a new sentence. When the pair where within striking distance, I activated Brainwashing on both of them, stopping them in their tracks as both of their expressions went blank.

I had told Tsu to watch for this signal, and as soon as she saw it, her tongue shot out and grasped the headband, pulling it towards our team without a fight. As soon as Tsu had hold of the headband, Shoji turned and sprinted in the opposite direction, taking us a safe distance from the team that we had just relieved of their points. As soon as we were clear of the team by a good distance, I released Brainwashing, returning the pair to their senses.

The whole exchange had taken around twenty seconds, and it seemed that the vast majority of the crowd hadn't even noticed our manoeuvre, judging by the fact that Present Mic hadn't even mentioned us so far in his commentary. A glance over my shoulder confirmed that the pair were simply standing still in surprise, unsure as to exactly what had just happened and how to proceed. Aizawa had volunteered to be brainwashed a few times, and he described the experience as similar to walking through a cloud of mist, everything was indistinct, and even retaining the memory of being brainwashed required a great deal of mental effort.

This knowledge had dictated my strategy when it came to using my Quirk in this event, as the pair would likely not even be certain of which team had taken their headband, and they would be too disoriented to pursue us before we got away. The fact that the swap was so quick was simply a bonus, it let us strike quickly, and it was much less likely to be noticed by anybody observing the arena.

The combat swirled around us as the Cavalry Battle wound on, and if Present Mic's commentary was anything to go by, headbands were changing hands constantly. We hadn't yet gotten enough points to guarantee a spot in the final round, and the fact that more than half of the time was still remaining meant that we still weren't safe. Things could change in an instant, and we could be left without any points if we made a single wrong move.

The noise of cracking explosions heralded Bakugo's arrival, and a glance over my shoulder confirmed that his team was squared up and facing straight towards us. I wondered why he would target us, then I realised that Midoriya's team stood in front of us, and Bakugo was simply facing them down, we were just in the way. Before we had the change to reposition, Todoroki's team arrived, then Mineta's, then several of the 1B teams.

The chaos we had moved around had come straight to us, and the fighting erupted around us with renewed vigour. Not everybody was singularly focused on the ten million headband anymore, and there were clashes between various teams as they fought for their headbands. Even now, I could see that some of the teams had become aware of our presence, noticing us properly for the first time since the game began.

It was only a matter of time until they turned their full attention on us, and that meant that an attack could come at any point from any angle, and this knowledge left me looking all around in anticipation. Any opening that we might have been able to escape through was soon closed by another fight starting; and the sight of cracking explosions and coursing lightning combined with the heat of the midday sun meant that Dark Shadow wouldn't have enough power to punch a hole through the wall of destruction.

I looked to my teammates to ensure that they were aware of our situation, Tokoyami had Dark Shadow ready to respond at the slightest movement, any attack from the other teams would raise the ire of the sentient Quirk and it's master. Tsu had the other headband hanging around her neck while our original remained on her head, meaning it would be difficult for an opponent to grab both of them at once. Shoji's arms we raised and ready for a fight, and his eyes were flicking back and forth to search for any opportunity or weakness in our foes, ready to move at any second.

I inhaled deeply before looking towards our foes, we weren't out of danger yet, and I'd be damned if I let my team down now.

* * *

_Aizawa watched intently as the swirling chaos of the Cavalry Battle played out below him, the spectator's box gave him a commanding view of the conflicts that were playing out, and the opportunity to see how his students performed in this new trial. Aizawa had already drafted a training plan to help Aoyama improve his physical capabilities so that he didn't end up falling behind his classmates._

_Though he was watching all of his students with painstaking detail, his eye was inevitably drawn to a particular student, who had so far directed his team away from the majority of the conflict that was engulfing the battlefield. Aizawa could see that the cameras that were recording the event were focusing on the teams that were in the thick of the fighting, and so they had strayed away from recording Shinso and his teammates, something that Aizawa was subtly happy about._

_"__You see what he's doing?" Aizawa spoke up to his fellow Pro Hero, the red light on the soundboard between them letting him know that his words weren't being broadcasted._

_"__Staying out of the chaos and ambushing teams that don't see them coming?" Present Mic, known to his friends as Hizashi Yamada, chuckled; looking over to his lifelong friend and fellow Pro Hero "He's a smart kid, I see why you like him so much."_

_"__I told you that the others would go along with it." Aizawa deadpanned, looking over to Yamada from between his bandages "So pay up."_

_Yamada groaned good naturedly and handed Aizawa a small stack of crumpled yen, making a mental note to win his money back somehow. Aizawa had bet him that Shinso would have been able to convince his teammates to go along with whatever plan they had seen him pitching to them, Yamada had contested, expecting them to go along with the more aggressive approach that was being used by the other teams._

_"__But seriously." Aizawa's serious tone darkened the mood somewhat, and Yamada picked up the change in his friend's demeanour "Do you think he's the right choice?"_

_Yamada's own eyes narrowed somewhat, and he looked over his shoulder to ensure the door to their booth was closed before looking back to Aizawa. Aizawa and Yamada had been friends ever since their own days in UA High, with Yamada being one of the few people being able to get along with the perpetually moody Aizawa. Though the pair seemed like polar opposites, they got along with each other in defiance of all social logic, and each of them seemed to understand the other despite their differing attitudes._

_Though they had taken different paths when it came to their professional careers, they had remained good friends ever since, and eventually they both ended up as co-workers at UA. Yamada was a conventional hero, happy to be in the spotlight and at ease in the middle of a crowd in a way that Aizawa never could be. Despite his status, Aizawa had chosen Yamada to be his trusted contact for his Underground Hero work; a privilege that was incredibly rare, and the fact that it was given to Yamada spoke to how deeply Aizawa trusted him._

_This meant that Yamada was privy to some of the secrets that Aizawa held when it came to Underground Heroes, though he was kept from the majority of important information that Aizawa and his fellow Heroes kept from the public. He also had no idea about The Lie, as the only person to be trusted with this information that wasn't an Underground Hero was Nezu. Due to his knowledge, Aizawa had approached Yamada about his dilemma regarding Shinso, hoping that his oldest friend would be able to provide advice to assist him._

_"__I don't know exactly what you and your friends get up to, not that I want to." Mic chuckled, keeping his upbeat personality even during such a serious moment "But I can see the potential that you talked about."_

_"__Potential isn't the only issue." Aizawa said, keeping his voice low out of practise or paranoia "It's attitude, and I don't know if I can be sure of that for a fifteen-year old."_

_"__He reminds me of you when we were at UA." Yamada chuckled again, though he spoke truthfully "I'd say that's as good an indicator of having the right attitude as you can get."_

_"__I don't know Yamada…" Aizawa muttered again, mind flashing back to his conversation with Nezu "I don't know if I can make that decision for him, it could ruin his life."_

_"__Are you sure you're not just making excuses?" Yamada raised an eyebrow in scepticism, but his slight grin told Aizawa that he was trying to annoy him "But seriously. If you trust the kid enough to be thinking this over, then you should trust him enough to offer the job to him. If he says yes, then he's there of his own free will, if he says no then you should trust him enough not to spill any of your secrets."_

_Aizawa was about to reply again when he seriously considered Yamada's words, the proposal that had been put before him giving him pause for thought. Aizawa knew that he could trust Shinso enough not to run to the press if Aizawa told him about what he had planned for him, if only because he knew Shinso found the media to be as annoying as he did. Yamada was right, Shinso deserved to be given a choice about his future, and Aizawa had faith that his student would make the decision that was best for him._

_"__Thanks Yamada." Aizawa spoke up again, offering a rare thanks to his closest friend "I think I know what to do now."_

_"__Anytime." Yamada smirked back before flipping his microphone back on and starting to commentate on the match that was still unfolding._

_Aizawa stood to leave the room for the moment to make a few calls, knowing that he would somehow have to pitch the idea that Yamada had given him to his own Underground contacts. Hopefully he would be able to convince them that Shinso was worth taking the risk on, though he knew that a few of them were already watching his protégé from the seats of the stadium, assessing the worth of the candidate that Aizawa had put forwards._

_Looking back for a moment, Aizawa saw that Shinso's team was stuck between several other teams, the conflict of the arena had shifted and swept the team up in it, and it looked like they would have to fight their way out._

_'__Good luck Shinso.' Aizawa thought to himself 'I'll be interested to see if you can get out of this one.'_

* * *

_Author's Note_

_This might be the first time I've uploaded a Chapter earlier than I intended, which is an occurrence that I'd like to make more frequent in the future._

_The Cavalry Battle gives me a nice opportunity to show off the group dynamic of Shinso and his friend group, which is something that I already enjoy doing, so any opportunity to show them working together is fun. I split the Battle into two Chapters since when I drafted it in one Chapter, it seemed rushed and I wanted to do it properly. There's also quite a bit of extra story in this first half, but the next Chapter will contain the bulk of the actual battle._

_You might have noticed that I amended the rules of the Cavalry Battle to disqualify students if they were separated from their team for too long or if they left the arena. You'll see why I did this next Chapter, but it makes sense as a rule to me and it is usually a rule in Kibasen (the real life game the Cavalry Battle is based off), so at least I have an excuse for making that change._

_The Underground Hero story is also moving forwards quicker and quicker, and I've enjoyed adding these little details about this element of the story throughout the last few Chapters. All of this will come to a head soon, and I hope I'm keeping you at a suitable level of suspense._

_I have a Discord now, feel free to come and chat. The link is in my bio._

_That's about all for today, thank you for your continued support, and I'll see you next time._

_And to answer some reviews:_

_(For some reason the site isn't displaying the reviews that I received on the last Chapter, so I can only reply to the two reviews that are in my email inbox. I think these are the only reviews I have but if there are more I can't see; I'll reply to them as soon as I can.)_

_OnlineOverlord15: It's funny that you should mention a fight with Ojiro, I won't spoil anything yet but he's going to have a bigger role in this story than you might think, but all of that will come up in a few Chapters. Thanks for your support, and I hope you enjoyed this Chapter as well._

_Attackin: Aoyama is only a victim of circumstance this time, since I wanted to round out the numbers of students in round 2 due to Shinso being in the Hero Course. It was only Aoyama since he canonically came last in the obstacle race, but I don't have any intention of writing him out of the story or replacing him._


	26. Chapter 26- Cavalry Battle: Part 2

Chapter 26- Cavalry Battle: Part 2

* * *

"Dark Shadow!"

At Tokoyami's spoken command, his Quirk expanded in size and coiled around our team like a serpent, ready to strike at anybody who came near to threaten our team. There were a few beats of silence, with all of the teams looking straight at each other, none of them willing to be the first to move. We had ended up right in the middle of this circle of teams, and it was clear that a lot of them were looking at us as potential targets.

"Shoji, don't make it obvious, but look to our left." I muttered as quietly as possible, hoping that none of the other teams could hear what I was planning "The biggest gap between the teams is between Bakugo and that 1B team with the black-haired girl as the rider."

"I see it." Shoji confirmed, his head staying still as one of his dupli-arm eyes rotated wildly to give the impression he hadn't noticed the weakness in the circle of teams "So we go for that gap?"

"We'll run to the right for a few seconds, once everyone moves against us and the fighting starts again, change direction and move as quickly as possible." My eyes flicked around the arena, seeing the anticipation on the faces of the other teams "Tokoyami, use Dark Shadow to cover our backs. Tsu, keep an eye on our headbands, and steal the 1B team's points if you can."

"Certainly."

"Ribbit."

"Right, see you on the other side." I smirked, jolting my head to the right and getting ready to run as obviously as possible.

Our team moved as one, making large and dramatic movements to lead the other teams towards us. As soon as we moved, everybody else surged forwards, the brief pause that had settled over the battle being broken as easily as it had first been formed. The fighting erupted all around us, and several teams surged towards the centre of the stage, either to attack our team, or to fight each other for the coveted headbands.

Once the anarchy erupted all around us, Shoji turned on his heel and started moving to the left, and Tokoyami and I followed his movement and turned as well, changing our team's direction and sprinting towards the gap in the circle of teams that we had spotted. I could see over my shoulder that a few of the teams that were coming towards us had been momentarily wrong footed, and those few seconds of hesitation gave us time to escape the fight and put distance between us and our foes.

Todoroki's team were suddenly right beside us, seemingly defending themselves from Bakugo's relentless attacks, and both of these teams were surely pursuing Midoriya for his team's points. Tsu must have taken my advice on going for the 1B team that we would be passing by, as we had suddenly stopped, and Dark Shadow was striking out at one of our opposing teams. Tsu was also using her tongue to try and grasp the headband from the team, though she was so far being kept at bay by the bestial-looking boy that served as the front horse for this team.

There wasn't much I could do in the current situation; the fight was on the other side of our formation and I lacked any means to contribute to the fight due to my deficit of any ranged attack or other means of offence. My eyes turned back to Todoroki's team, who were still beside us and locked in a battle with three other teams, the swirling chaos making it impossible to tell who had gained the upper hand in the fight.

It was then that I realised that Kaminari was the closest member of that team to me, and he was doing little more than observing the fight that his team was currently engaged in. This was likely due to the nature of his Quirk, as he couldn't use his power to it's full potential without injuring his teammates and effectively taking himself out of the battle until he could recover from overusing his Quirk. But truthfully, his Quirk was the reason that I had my eyes settled on Kaminari, and the destructive power that he possessed was what made him stick out in my perception.

In order to keep honing my skills and work on my fighting technique, I had theorised how a fight between me and any of my classmates could unfold, and Aizawa had taught me a lot about theorising and simulating fights and battles in my mind in order to keep me sharp. I had come up with dozens of scenarios that could feasibly take place in UA's training grounds, and taking note of which of my classmates I would consistently struggle or outright lose against.

Alongside Todoroki and Bakugo, Kaminari was a consistently difficult factor in these mental battles that I had run through, and I was still struggling to figure out the best way to deal with his power. Ultimately, my fighting style was based in getting close and using my fighting techniques to beat an opponent, and Kaminari's ability to totally wipe out anybody near him meant my options were limited. The only counters I could conceive of were ambushing him and taking him down without a fight, which could theoretically beat anybody, though in this current scenario an ambush was totally impossible.

And the other option was…

"Kaminari!" I called out to my classmate across the melee, noticing that all of his teammates were stood still and occupied with the fight at hand, none of them were paying attention to what was going on around them.

"What?" He called back, his expression showing the confusion as to why I was trying to talk to him in the middle of a fight.

I activated Brainwashing as soon as he had responded, the familiar mental link settling into my mind as I saw Kaminari's expression slacken. I knew that I likely only had a few seconds until either Kaminari's teammates noticed what was happening or a shock from the battle would release him from my control, so I had to act quickly.

"I'm sorry about this." I muttered, hoping that nobody would notice what I was up to "But I need you to turn around and run out of the arena as quickly as you can."

Without any of the hesitation that would come from a person under control of their own mind, Kaminari moved away from the rest of his team and sprinted at full pelt towards the edge of the stone arena. Todoroki and Yaoyorozu both turned in surprise to see what had happened to their teammate, though neither of them had the means to stop him within the few seconds they had left to react.

Present Mic's surprised narration announced that Kaminari had been eliminated from the tournament by since he had left the ring, and I released my control over him as soon as I heard that he had been taken out of the battle. Though I was glad to know that one of my most disadvantageous matchups had been removed from the tournament, I still felt for Kaminari since he had lost his chance of winning the tournament, and unlike Aoyama, this was a loss that I was directly responsible for.

I actually quite liked Kaminari, though we hadn't had a great deal of interaction since starting UA, something that was true for the majority of our class since we had known each other for only a fairly brief amount of time. Though he was a little loud and brash for my liking, he was at least earnest and fairly easy to get along with, and he seemed to be friendly with basically the entire class. I only hoped that he didn't take being Brainwashed too badly, and I made a mental note to apologise to him later, as I wanted to maintain at least cordial relations with most of my classmates.

I saw Todoroki's gaze linger on me for a second, and I knew that he must have realised what I had done and why he was suddenly short one team member. Even as Yaoyorozu and Iida scrambled to reform into a new formation to accommodate being short a member, Todoroki just glared at me for a few more seconds, before finally turning back to the battle at hand. The guy certainly had an intense glare, and I had no doubt he would have turned and attacked my team if it wouldn't have left his back exposed and open to an attack from Bakugo, who was still charging towards everybody around him at once. Well, maybe I had proved my earlier point to Todoroki, focusing on a single opponent could end with him being stabbed in the back, and I hoped that I had driven that lesson home.

Any further conflict with Todoroki was cut short by Shoji moving forwards again, and I followed him without even thinking, letting the head of our formation guide us away from the conflict where we would assess ourselves and plan out our next move. I saw Dark Shadow had a headband clutched in it's black talons, and it handed the band of white fabric over to Tsu, who secured it around her neck alongside our other captured headbands. My team must have managed to secure the headband from the 1B team they were confronting whilst I was distracted by dealing with Kaminari.

If any of them noticed that I had used my Quirk to remove Kaminari from the tournament, then they didn't comment on it, though I was certain that they would make the connection after a while. I had also been trying to listen to Present Mic's announcements that constantly boomed through the stadium, and although he had commented on Kaminari's elimination, he hadn't mentioned anything about me or my use of Brainwashing, so I had hopefully managed to act without detection once again.

Shoji paused outside of the conflict zone, all of us catching our breath for a moment as we took stock of our current situation. About half of the battle's time had expired, and we were currently ranked in third place on the scoreboards that were hanging far above us from the stadium roof. Team Midoriya was still in first place for now, having surprisingly managed to defend the ten million point headband from the almost constant attacks that they were under. Second place currently belonged to Team Bakugo…

That was strange, I was almost certain that Bakugo would be entirely focused on gaining the ten million points from Midoriya's team, though I didn't know whether or not this was strategy or his strangely one-sided grudge against Midoriya. Either way, I would have expected Bakugo to have only gunned for Midoriya, so how had he managed to gain so many points so quickly? So had he…

"Give me those damn points you extras!" Bakugo's voice tore me from my thoughts, and the sound of explosions heralded his certainly imminent arrival.

It took me a second to realised that Bakugo was coming from above us, the noise of explosions and his own constant yelling giving away his position. I looked up to the quickly approaching noise to see Bakugo flying towards us a dozen metres in the air, a strand of something seemed to be stuck to his waist, though I didn't have time to identify what it was before I had to react.

"Get back!" I shouted to my team, pulling at Shoji's shoulder while simultaneously leaping backwards, trying to put as much distance as possible between my team and Bakugo's landing point.

Thankfully, the rest of my team seemed to notice what was happening and followed my lead, backpedalling as far as possible to avoid the projectile of anger and explosions that was flying straight towards us. Bakugo didn't have time to change his course from our sudden change in direction, and he was pulled back to the rest of his team by the strand stuck to his waist, which I realised was a piece of Sero's tape that he had been using to allow Bakugo to make these dive-bomb attacks.

Thankfully, taunting from a blonde-haired member of Class 1B seemed to draw Bakugo's attention, and he steered his team towards this obviously suicidal student, who was still insulting Bakugo while fleeing in the opposite direction. I wondered idly if this figure was the Monoma person that Yanagi had saw fit to warn me about, and it seemed that her warnings were justified, though he was possibly even more unusual than I had expected from him.

"That was too close." Shoji murmured, his eyes flicking to the sides for any more threats "We got lucky that time, but he'll try that again."

"Sero's the problem." Tokoyami answered, sounding disgruntled at how close we had come to being caught off guard "As long as he's there, then Bakugo can keep making those ambushes."

"I can deal with that." I replied, speaking without even thinking about what I was really saying "If you guys can get me close enough, I can get Sero away from his team using Brainwashing."

"You've already done that once." Shoji shot back "Are you sure you can get away with that again?"

"I don't know." I answered truthfully, not wishing to delude myself or my team "But we can't let Bakugo run wild like that, we'll end up out of the game if this keeps happening."

Shoji didn't say anything, but he led our team forwards again, steering us towards the back of Bakugo's team, trying to keep our approach unseen for as long as we could manage. Once we were within a dozen metres of Bakugo's team. Kirishima and Sero noticed our arrival, though their attempts to notify Bakugo and Ashido of our arrival were thwarted by their teammates being stuck fighting with Todoroki's team. Unlike when we targeted Todoroki's team, Bakugo's team were still moving, and Shoji led us forwards until we were running parallel with our target.

"Hey!" I called out again, unsure how likely my trick was to work again "Sero!"

"What are you planning Shinso?" Sero was clearly keeping his distance, wary of what exactly I was attempting to do to defeat his team.

I activated Brainwashing straight away, and watched as Sero went still and lost any concern or suspicion in his face as his expression went flat. Since I hadn't given Sero any orders, he simply stood still in the spot he had been Brainwashed in, and the rest of his team were moving too quickly to stop and recover Sero before the ten seconds timer expired. In other circumstances, I would have been somewhat offended by the accusation of being up to no good; though Sero was right to be suspicious of my sudden call to him, it was clear he still didn't know how my Quirk worked. Besides, in this one occasion, I actually was up to no good, so I wasn't going to be too bothered by any suspicion being directed my way.

Once Bakugo realised that Sero was gone and that he was stuck with the rest of his team, he snarled and shot his gaze straight towards me, correctly guessing that I was the reason that he was confined to his team. Before he could make a move towards us and try to enact his surely violent and loud revenge, more teams gathered around us again, several different fights and clashes merging into each other as the various teams all tried to find weaknesses and openings in their new rival teams.

Unlike the last time that we were surrounded, there wasn't an opening to escape this time, nor was there a pause that we could take advantage of to strategize and plan an escape from the conflict that was spiralling out of control all around us. It seemed that any semblance of single combat had broken down into one large fight, with every team fighting anyone nearby in an attempt to gain points, while still defending their own points from anybody who would try to steal them.

"Defend as best you can!" I called out as loudly as possible, hoping that my team could hear me above the noise and chaos of the battle "They're gonna come from all sides, but we need to defend our headbands!"

I didn't get any response, though even if anyone did reply, I doubted that I would be able to hear what was said over the cacophony of dozens of clashing students using their Quirks to try and immobilise or defeat their opponents and claim their points. I couldn't make out the scoreboard in any great detail amongst all of the chaos around us, but I knew that we still had a few minutes until the battle came to an end, and so I squared myself up against any teams that threatened us, ready to fight and defend.

The battle surged all around us, and the constant barrage of Quirks and other attacks were coming from every angle, with seemingly no end to the assaults upon us. There was no planning or strategy in those moments, just a desperate defence of our claimed points from the teams that sought to claim them and earn a place in the final round. Though I knew that the battle must almost be over, in the heat of the moment it felt like I had been fighting for hours, constantly defending from the endless assaults and attempts to claim our headbands.

In this chaos, our team settled into a rhythm of perfect tandem, without any words or planning, we covered for each other and fought in unison to ensure our team's advancement. I used every technique I could think of to fend off anybody who approached our team, even though one of my arms had to be kept on Shoji's back to maintain the formation, I used my right arm and even my legs to block strikes and grabs that threatened our team and our points. If a strike flew too high for me to intercept, then Dark Shadow would surge forwards and intercept the attack that was targeted at Tsu and our headbands, the sentient Quirk's body seemed almost immune to pain or damage, so it absorbed and intercepted attacks under Tokoyami's stern orders. At the head of our formation, Shoji was constantly shifting his free arms into different appendages to suit the situations; constantly changing from eyes and ears to sense oncoming assaults, to hands to intercept these attacks and drive the opposing teams back. Tsu herself stayed mostly out of the fighting, instead using her small size and mobility to dodge and weave around the few attacks that managed to slip past our desperate defence, though she would occasionally used her tongue to make a counter attack by reaching for an enemy team's headband.

This strange unison kept us in the fight, even though attacks came at us constantly and often without warning, and so we held out desperately, feeling every second crawl by until the end of the battle. Though I was confident in myself and my teammates, I knew we couldn't keep this up forever, and eventually somebody would make a mistake that led to us losing some or all of our points to an attacking team.

"Time's Up!" Present Mic's voice tore through the stadium again, all of the battles and clashes that were raging instantly fell silent, and the dust began to settle around us.

Cheers erupted from the crowd at the end of the battle, and I could see the wave of activity from those standing and applauding, apparently they had been entertained by the spectacle that had unfolded in front of them. Maybe they could see more of what had happened from above that I could notice from being on the ground, but for now the outcome was still unclear.

"I hope this last one counts." Tsu said, holding the headband she had just claimed in her tongue as she hopped off of Shoji's back.

I noticed that one of the headbands around Tsu's neck had been lost in the confusion, and the one on her head was clearly loosened by attempts to claim it by other teams. We had three headbands in our possession at the end of the battle, and before I could tally up how many points we had one of UA's small robot drones requested the headbands from Tsu, which she handed over. The scoreboards had gone black as well, presumably to keep the suspense that Midnight was clearly so fond of in the air.

"I guess we just have to wait." I replied, rolling my shoulders to loosen some of the stiffness that had settled in from keeping my arms raised for so long "Hopefully we've done enough."

* * *

It took a while for the adrenaline of the Cavalry Battle to wear off, and my heartbeat and breathing had only steadied once the teams had stopped fighting and were standing and awaiting the announcement of their scores. I had lost sight of the scoreboard in the final hectic minutes of the battle, and the rapid changing of headbands and points between teams in those hectic seconds of battle meant that the outcome was far from certain, and any team could have claimed victory.

Though the chaos had stopped me from keeping an accurate tally of the team's scores, I was fairly sure that Todoroki's team had grasped the coveted ten million point headband, ensuring his advancement to the next round. Iida and Yaoyorozu would also be moving onto the final round alongside Todoroki, and all three of them would surely be formidable opponents in whatever contest awaited us.

"First Place is Team Todoroki!" Present Mic called out first, drawing cheers and other celebratory chants from the crowd towards the team in question.

It seemed that loosing Kaminari wasn't enough to stop Todoroki from claiming victory, though the knowledge that I wouldn't have to face Kaminari again was comforting, since I still hadn't come up with a counter to his electricity. I didn't want to deprive Kaminari of his chance to participate in the final round, but this event was ultimately a competition, and that meant that not everybody could win, hopefully he understood that.

"In Second Place, it's Team Bakugo!" This next announcement was even less surprising, Bakugo had expectedly gone on a rampage through the entire game, and the loss of Sero hadn't done anything to slow him down. Bakugo's team had basically been pulled along by their boisterous leader, though it was clearly a winning strategy.

Kirishima and Ashido seemed pleased to be moving on, but Bakugo was clearly infuriated about not coming in first place, and his foul mood would surely follow him into the final game. That probably meant that whoever faced him first in the final event would likely be in for a hard time, and I could only hope that that person wasn't me.

Only two more spaces were open, and the invisible tension that surrounded my team increased even more, I could see the doubt and concern in their expressions, no matter how good they all were at hiding it. I was worried myself as well, we had fought hard throughout the battle, and I didn't want it all to go to waste.

"In Third Place, it's Team Asui!" There was a visible sigh of relief from my teammates at that announcement, we had collected a large amount of points, but the chaos of the battle meant that victory wasn't guaranteed. Still, we had moved on to the next round, and the opportunity of getting the attention of Pro Heroes was still open to my allies.

I still wasn't sure how I was meant to proceed in this tournament while still keeping a low profile and keeping my Quirk hidden as best I could. I was internally debating trying to find Aizawa and ask him his advice on the matter, but his recent demeanour towards me made me think that I wouldn't receive much beyond a stern glare that left me more confused than when I started. I had to make my own decision on the matter, and despite my current state of uncertainty I had to use my own judgement to decide what would be best.

"And in an impressive last-minute comeback! It's Team Midoriya!" Now that was surprising, even though Midoriya's team had been constantly targeted by the other teams, they seemed to have grabbed a headband just before time ran out, letting them move on to the next stage.

So the four teams had been chosen to move on, and with the exception of the Hatsume girl who had joined Midoriya, everybody was from Class 1A, which was certainly interesting. Class 1B clearly weren't inept or weaker than our class, but it seemed that things simply didn't go their way this time, which was clearly unfortunate.

But this was a competition, and I couldn't afford to be sentimental or spare thoughts for those left behind.

Just as that idea had crossed my mind, Midnight announced that sixteen competitors were needed for the final event, and that the team that came in fifth place would need to nominate two of their number to move onto the final round. The team in question was Team Kendo, composed of Itsuka Kendo, Setsuna Tokage, Kinoko Komori and Reiko Yanagi, who I had quite literally ran into a few days ago. I hadn't seen much of the other team members, and I only knew their names from the large information screens around the stadium.

However, Kendo declined the nomination on the grounds that her team had been immobilised by Todoroki's ice for the majority of the game, and they got fifth place simply by keeping their own headband in their possession for the whole game. She said that team Tetsutetsu should move on again since they had been fighting the whole game, and Midnight accepted this proposal with her usual dramatic persona.

The sixteen students had all been chosen now, and Midnight declared that the event would be announced before the intermission so that we would have time to prepare ourselves for the final event of the day. From my knowledge of previous Sports Festivals, the final event was usually a series of one-on-one battles, though the format of these contests varied wildly, including sword-fighting and something similar to traditional sumo wrestling.

"The event that will end the First Year segment of this Festival will be an old favourite, the Battle Tournament!" Midnight called to the stadium, gesturing widely towards our group of sixteen students, her announcement eliciting cheers from the crowd "It's a series of one-on-one battles with no holds barred and no Quirks off limits!"

"The rules are simple, two competitors will battle it out on this central stage, using their Quirks and their wits to win or lose!" Midnight called out again, milking the spotlight as much as she could manage "Competitors can be eliminated by being immobilised, knocked out of the ring or otherwise incapacitated. The competitors will move on until only one remains, and that student will be crowned champion!"

It was a fairly simple format, and one that would hopefully allow me to use my own proficiency in close combat as best as I could. On the other hand, an open area with no equipment, no opportunity to hide or ambush and nothing that I could even improvise as a weapon went against almost everything I had been caught when it came to fighting. Such an open or pitched battle didn't really play to my strengths, and it was up to me to turn things in my favour.

"The matches are as follows!" Midnight called out again, gesturing to the screens mounted around the stadium "And they will begin as soon as the intermission has ended!"

I turned towards one of the screens to see who I would be facing, seeing the list of the first eight matches in front of me.

Mashirao Ojiro vs. Hitoshi Shinso

Ejiro Kirishima vs. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Katsuki Bakugo vs. Ochaco Uraraka

Mezo Shoji vs. Momo Yaoyorozu

Fumikage Tokoyami vs. Ibara Shiozaki

Tenya Iida vs. Mei Hatsume

Izuku Midoriya vs. Shoto Todoroki

Tsuyu Asui vs. Mina Ashido

It was Ojiro then, somebody who I truthfully hadn't had much interaction with, though that might be due to the fact that both of us tended to blend into the background of our class somewhat. That was intentional on my part, though it was fairly likely that I would end up blending in whether I tried to or not; but I got the impression that Ojiro resented being overlooked somewhat, which was certainly something that I could sympathise with.

But putting emotions and such aside, Ojiro was certainly a capable close-quarters fighter, and while his Tail Quirk wasn't flashy or very powerful, I had observed him using it to good affect for both attacking or movement. He was clearly a well trained martial artist as well, and he used his tail in conjunction with existing forms and techniques, which was something that I would have to figure out how to beat as soon as possible.

Still, I had time to come up with counters and strategies to win this first battle, and whichever fights would come next, for the moment, I was simply looking forwards to the intermission. Some time to rest and gather my thoughts sounded ideal right now, and I'm sure that the rest of my teammates were thinking much the same. Though we weren't strictly teammates anymore due to the nature of the final round, they were still my closest friends, and I'd be rooting for them for their own fights, at least until they came up against me.

But right now, I could simply enjoy the calm before the final storm.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Isn't lockdown fun? I've been at work non-stop lately and I feel like keeling over after finally finishing this Chapter. Anyway, that's the end of the Cavalry Battle, I had a lot of fun writing this sequence, and I hope that you all enjoyed reading it as well._

_Before I say anything else, there has been a change to this story due to an error that I made. As reviewer Slayermoon1 helpfully pointed out to me, Shinso's Quirk doesn't actually require him to ask a question for Brainwashing to trigger, any statement he asks that somebody replies to can Brainwash them. Slayermoon1 drew my attention to this fact being written on the wiki, and when I checked the Manga, sure enough that was how his power was described; I assume that I was going off the memory of the anime and how Shinso was introduced there. The previous Chapters have been retroactively edited to display this change, though nothing major has changed beyond Shinso describing his Quirk. Many thanks to Slayermoon1 for pointing this out to me, it would have be a major headache if I hadn't noticed for a while longer._

_I thought that Shinso's team coming in third made sense, since Todoroki got the ten million headband, Bakugo went on a rampage and Midoriya got a last minute score, so third place seemed the most sensible for Shinso's teams more cautious approach. Eliminating Kaminari and Sero was a decision made for a few reasons: Firstly, I didn't want to totally screw 1B out of the tournament altogether; I also felt that it showed Shinso's strategizing, since Sero was letting Bakugo make his attacks, and Kaminari would be basically an impossible matchup for Shinso in the final tournament. I know that eliminating them might be a little jarring, but they both got eliminated in the first round of the tournament, so there shouldn't be too many changes._

_Before we get into the tournament, there's going to be an intermission chapter that will address a few plot threads and set up a rivalry that I've been planning to introduce since the start. We'll get onto the tournament soon, and I can't wait to get started. I know that in canon the tournament placements were shown after the intermission rather than before, but I found it strange that there was a break, then they announced the tournament, which was immediately followed by another break period. It seemed like a weird way for things to be set out, so I just merged the two here into one big intermission before the tournament starts.._

_I have a Discord server now; the link is in my profile page if you are interested in joining._

_That's all for now, thank you for reading, and I'll see you next time._

_And to answer some reviews:_

_Raven Mordrake: I've tried to incorporate Shinso's more cunning and underhanded way of approaching things into the way he acts, and observing his fellow students is definitely one way to communicate that point, and I'm glad to see that that came across. Thanks for reviewing._

_Donovan2771: When it comes to the Sports Festival using Brainwashing is insanely risky, and using it on the one-on-one matches is even harder to get away from it. You're right to say that it would be a poor decision for Shinso to use Brainwashing like he did in canon, since he doesn't have as much riding on winning the festival here, and it could massively screw up his future career. Thanks for the review, and I'll keep this advice in mind._

_Slayermoon1: Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I've checked the wiki and the manga to confirm and you're right to say that this is how Shinso's Quirk works. Thanks for the help, you've saved me a lot of trouble down the line._

_Rex559: Voice throwing and such will be addressed next arc, you're right to say that it would be a helpful technique for Shinso to learn and I'll try to make good use of it. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll be sure to keep it in mind._

_Hatakewerbenjagermanjensen: Thank you very much for your support, I hope that you enjoyed this Chapter as well._

_XDBOI: Thanks for the support, I'm glad you enjoyed this story so far and I hope you enjoy this Chapter as well._


	27. Chapter 27- Intermission

Chapter 27- Intermission

* * *

The plate of sushi in front of me was incredible, and it was only my manners and sense of dignity that stopped me from devouring the whole thing in a few seconds. The private cafeteria that had been set up in the stadium was filled with the first-year UA students that had taken part in the Sports Festival so far, and the chatter of over a hundred students filled the room with ease. Tokoyami and Shoji were talking about strategy beside me, and Tsu had wandered off a while ago to go talk with Uraraka.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pair of students in the UA sports uniform walking towards me, and I turned to see exactly who it was. It was Sero and Kaminari, and their appearance instantly put me on edge, given that they were the two students I had used Brainwashing on to end their chances of advancing to the final round of the festival. I was willing to defend my actions if needed, but the last thing I wanted was an argument with the pair.

"Oh, hey." I muttered to both of them as they stopped in front of me "I'm sorry for how that last round ended, I didn't want to get either of you eliminated."

"Don't worry about it!" Kaminari grinned and clapped me on the shoulder with his usual friendliness "I just wanted to say how cool your Quirk was, I've never seen anything like that before!"

Well that wasn't the reaction I had expected, and my confusion must have shown, as Sero stepped in with his own remark.

"No worries Shinso, we all have to beat other people to advance, it's just the way it is." Sero grinned his usual wide smile "We just wanted to let you know that there were no hard feelings."

"Thanks." I nodded, speaking as earnestly as I could manage "I'm glad to hear that."

"It was such a weird experience!" Kaminari spoke up again, enthusiasm radiating from his expression "I just said something and the next thing I know, I'm standing outside of the arena without even knowing how I got there!"

"That's strange…" Sero spoke up, hand resting on his chin "For me it was more like looking through my own eyes at another person controlling me."

"I'm not sure why that happens." I shrugged, having noticed the memory difference with the brainwashed before "People seem to remember stuff at random."

"Weird…" Kaminari also looked deep in thought, and I was a little flattered that the pair were considering my Quirk so intently "It's a really powerful Quirk though, no wonder you do so well in training."

"Speak for yourself." I grinned back to Kaminari, finally letting myself relax once I was sure we weren't going to argue "I went for you because you're one of the only people in 1A that I know I can't beat, at least not without Brainwashing you."

"Really?" Kaminari seemed a little surprised by my remark "But you've got that cloth and all of the crazy martial arts stuff you do."

"That doesn't mean much if you're fighting somebody who can electrocute an entire area." I shrugged, going through my reasoning to Kaminari "Especially in a small arena without any of my gear."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Kaminari grinned again, his enthusiasm rubbing onto me like static electricity "I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"What about me?" Sero chipped in "I mean, I think we'd have a pretty good fight and there are certainly stronger students than me."

"I didn't want to get dive-bombed by Bakugo again." I grimaced at the thought of being attacked by the ball of explosive anger again "You were the reason he could keep doing that."

"Speaking of Bakugo…" Sero replied, looking over to a table where Bakugo was presumably sat "He's not taking coming in second very well, and we were wondering if we could sit here to avoid being blown up?"

"Go ahead." I gesture with an open hand to the seats opposite me, which the pair took "I was wondering if I could get some more opinions on a plan I've been working on anyway."

The three of us broke into easy conversation, and the brief lull in the tension let me relax and just forget about the fights for a moment.

* * *

I always felt revitalised after eating Lunch Rush's food, the man was a miracle worker, and it was only the knowledge of how difficult it was to fight on a full stomach that stopped me from totally over indulging. Tokoyami had said that he was going to meditate outside somewhere, and Tsu and Shoji were going to check out the side games that were currently underway in the stadium. Neither prospect had really appealed to me, so I was planning on heading to Class 1A's seats in the stadium and catching some sleep before the next round began.

Unfortunately, whoever had designed this stadium was clearly either a total lunatic or a fan of abstract art, as the endless twisting hallways were basically impossible to navigate, and I found myself walking through the same corridors several times over in my search for the observation boxes. I was fairly sure that I had already walked down the same corridor I found myself in twice before, but I was fairly convinced that I knew what path would take me to the boxes this time.

But before I could find that route, a figure stepped out in front of me, and it took me a few seconds to realise that they must have wanted to talk to me, instead of just being somebody passing by. It was Ojiro, and the expression on his face was unusual to say the least, the mixture of uncertainty and inner conflict didn't really fit his usually stoic persona.

"Shinso." He said, sounding more downcast than usual "I've been looking for you, I have something that I need to say."

"What?" I replied, trying to avoid showing my own confusion.

"I'm not here to dance around the issue or make vague allusions." Ojiro's gaze hardened, and he seemed to convince himself of whatever he was going to do "So I'm just going to speak plainly."

I didn't reply, instead I just nodded to prompt Ojiro to continue, still wondering what exactly he was going to say.

"I saw how you used your Quirk on Kaminari and Sero." Ojiro continued, briefly looking over his shoulder "What you did took away their chance to win this festival."

"It's a competition, people are going to lose at some point." I shot back; it was obvious that this wasn't why Ojiro was here for "What's this really about Ojiro?"

"It's not just about this conversation, it's…" Ojiro seemed to search for the right words for whatever he wanted to say, and I was left waiting for him to speak up again "It's about how you act altogether, it's not the way a Hero should act."

"What do you mean?" I had a dim idea of where this conversation was headed, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions before Ojiro had made his point.

"A Hero is meant to be somebody who inspires everybody else." Ojiro looked me dead on, seemingly set on his words "They're meant to fight with honour and defeat their enemies, and help everyone they can."

"You're just describing All Might." I cut in, being reminded of dozens of lectures to myself and my class throughout Middle School "And what do you mean by 'honour' anyway?"

"I don't want to insult your abilities, you're clearly skilled and capable." Ojiro continued "But you're not acting the way a Hero should, all of this sneaking around and underhanded tactics, it's not the way a UA student should act."

"Says who? Not everybody can be All Might." I replied, trying to supress a familiar twinge of anger in my mind "And what do you mean by underhanded?"

"I mean the way you fight, all of this trickery and dirty fighting." Ojiro's face tightened slightly in irritation "A Hero should fight Villains with their own strength, winning a fair fight and making people feel safe."

"So you want me to limit myself? To throw away the advantages against Villains to chase some ideal of _fairness_?" Ojiro went to speak again, but I kept talking, trying to make my point "What happens when people die because you hold back in the interest of fairness? Where's the honour in that?"

"I didn't mean…" Ojiro trailed off, seemingly searching for how to reply to my questions

"It's the duty of a Hero to keep people safe, you're right about that. But if we limit ourselves, then people die." I continued, drawing on everything I had been taught "Some Heroes have the ability to fight Villains head on and win, but I don't have that luxury. I'm willing to take every advantage I can get, and I'll gladly fight dirty if it means that criminals are stopped from hurting people."

"You have skill and strength; I just don't understand why you have to keep everything secret from the rest of us." Ojiro trailed off again, I raised an eyebrow in silent interrogation, prompting him to continue "I mean, most of the class doesn't even know what your Quirk really does."

"People not knowing how my Quirk works is an advantage that I intend to keep." I replied, drawing on all of the lessons I had been taught "If I explain my every strength and weakness, then I'm ruining my own chances of doing well in training."

"This is what I mean." Ojiro rolled his eyes, it seemed that what I had said had confirmed his original point in his mind "It makes you seem untrustworthy to the rest of our class."

"I stopped caring about what people think about me a while ago." I shrugged, thinking back to my encounter with Koto back when I was training with Aizawa "We're not getting anywhere here, so if you're just going to keep trying to insult me, I've got better things to do."

I moved to walk away, not caring to carry on such a futile conversation for any longer. I didn't really have anywhere important to go, but the idea of catching some sleep before the combat matches sounded fairly appealing for the moment.

"You can leave if you want." Ojiro spoke up again, catching my attention and causing me to turn back to face him "But that isn't going to solve anything in the end."

"You're really not letting this go, are you?" I asked, to which Ojiro just shook his head "Fine, have it your way."

"What do you mean?" Ojiro was the one that looked confused this time, and I was relieved to see that I had managed to catch him off guard.

"We're scheduled to fight in about thirty minutes, so I'll give you a challenge." I wondered if I was being foolish, but I felt the need to prove my point "I'll beat you, without using my Quirk. If you think your way is superior, then come and prove it."

"Don't be stupid." Ojiro shot back, levelling me another serious look "You're certainly skilled, but don't think you can win by fighting Quirkless."

"I'm willing to try." I grinned, feeling the anticipation of a coming fight running through my blood "So, are you going to stand by your words? Or are you all talk?"

"Fine." Ojiro grimaced somewhat, and it occurred to me that he probably hadn't planned on this conversation going so far "I'll see you in the arena then."

"Ojiro." I spoke up again before he turned away, catching my opponents attention "Lots of people have told me I wasn't fit to be a Hero before, and I've done everything in my power to prove them wrong."

With that last word, I left, wondering exactly what I had just gotten myself into. I wondered if Ojiro knew what I meant when I said I was fighting him on his own terms. I was speaking the truth when I said I would fight without my Quirk, though this was partially a pragmatic choice given that I couldn't really use Brainwashing while under the scrutiny of tens of thousands of people. But just because I wasn't using Brainwashing, that didn't mean that I would be trading punches with Ojiro until one of us fell over; I still had all my techniques for close combat, and even without my equipment I knew that I had a decent chance of coming out on top.

It would be foolish to underestimate Ojiro though, I'd seen him in action and he was clearly adept in numerous martial arts. His Tail Quirk wasn't flashy or overly powerful, but he combined the appendage with his fighting technique with an impressive level of proficiency. Close combat was preferred ground for both of us, but I feared that Ojiro would be more at home in the conditions of the fight ahead of us.

The more I reflected on the coming battle, I realised how many of my usual advantages had been stripped away, leaving me with very little to work in my favour. I couldn't use Brainwashing, I had no equipment and I didn't even have any terrain to use for ambushes or evasion, in short I had very little to level to my advantage to tilt the fight in my favour. So I was forced into a pitched battle, which was something that I had been trained to avoid except for in the most dire circumstances.

I was left alone with my thoughts for a few minutes, and it took me a while to realise that I was wandering around without any real direction or plan to wear I was heading. I had totally lost my way again, and I didn't relish the prospect of having to navigate through these damned corridors again. But as I turned around I saw another figure standing right behind me, startling me with its sudden appearance without even making a sound. There weren't a lot of people who could sneak up on me like that, though I wasn't really paying attention at the moment. One person came to mind when I thought of who could sneak up on me, and I looked up to confirm my suspicions.

"Mr Aizawa?" I addressed my teacher as soon as I realised that it was him, though I could only identify him by his Hero Costume due to the bandages wrapped over his entire face.

"Listen up kid." Aizawa spoke quietly, so much that I had to strain to hear him "I haven't got a lot of time, so I can only go over this once."

I raised an eyebrow to prompt Aizawa to continue, as I didn't really know how to reply to this sudden prompt. After my conversation with Ojiro and the way that Aizawa had been acting recently, I wasn't too keen on having a conversation with him right now, as it seemed fairly likely he would just brush me off again. Then again, he had come to me this time, so maybe there was something worth listening to here.

"You can't use your Quirk in this final round." Aizawa muttered, quickly looking behind him to see if anybody else was around "If people notice how Brainwashing is triggered, then it could jeopardize everything we've done up to this point."

"I know." I replied, feeling a little insulted that he felt the need to explain this to me "I'll get as far as I can without Brainwashing, I'm not throwing everything away over a sporting event."

Aizawa paused at that, and he seemed to consider me in front of him for the first time, as if he was only making a prepared speech that he had imagined beforehand. I watched his expression for a few moments, wondering what exactly was unfolding, seeing some internal conflict within Aizawa was unusual.

"Of course." Aizawa finally said, seemingly struggling to even speak those two words "I simply wanted to make sure that you understood that."

"You think I don't know how important this is?" I muttered in response, unable to stop a surge of anger that shot through my mind "I'm well aware of why I can't use my Quirk in front of people, I don't like it, but I understand why that's the case."

"I see." Aizawa paused again, and the gap in the conversation was enough for me to reign my emotions in, leaving me embarrassed at having acted so immaturely.

"I'm sorry." I bowed my head slightly, trying to avoid eye contact "I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't apologise." Aizawa murmured, though there wasn't much of his usual scolding in his words "Just remember what I've taught you and don't do anything stupid."

"Right." I answered, wondering if that was my prompt to leave or not. "Isn't Present Mic giving information on Quirks when he does his introductions?"

"Mic knows the score." Aizawa answered "He knows how to not give away any information without it sounding like he's deliberately leaving you out, so any onlookers shouldn't notice the difference."

"I see." I answered, though another question swiftly came to mind "Isn't the purpose of this festival to show our skills and Quirks to all of the Pros watching? I know I've got to keep things under wraps, but I still need to get an internship somehow."

"Don't worry about that." Aizawa shot back, again confusing me with his words "Arrangements have been made for that, so drawing attention isn't something you need to worry about."

"Am I meant to throw the match then?" I asked, simultaneously knowing that that might be the sensible course of action while also fearing that I might have to step down.

"No, just avoid using Brainwashing and you'll be fine." Aizawa replied "All of the arrangements I have in place will work out."

"What do you mean by 'arrangements' anyway?" I questioned, dozens of queries running through my mind "I thought we saved all of this cloak and dagger stuff for the villains?"

Aizawa paused again, seemingly weighing up how to respond in his mind, leaving me wondering if I had overstepped again. Seeing another moment of hesitation from the normally self-assured and calm Aizawa made me wonder what exactly was causing him so much consternation.

"I'll be upfront with you; all of this training hasn't just been to get you into the Hero Course." Aizawa spoke up again, drawing my attention "Though you have certainly done well enough to earn your place in 1A."

I didn't even know what to say to that, so utterly confusing were Aizawa's words. Did he really just say that there was a purpose for all of my training and practise beyond just getting into UA's Hero Course? I knew that Aizawa had planned out how I would train to enter UA, and I had assumed that his planning had ended there with me joining 1A and therefore following the same training program as the rest of the class. What could Aizawa really be planning that went beyond UA's Hero Course?

"There is something I've been considering for a long time, and I admit that I've been unsure on how to proceed." Aizawa muttered again, looking around for any eavesdroppers "But I think I know what to do now."

"Sir, what are you talking about?" I couldn't help but ask, somewhat disliking how confused I sounded, but needing to know what Aizawa was talking about "What was all of my work really for."

"I'm sorry Shinso, but I can't tell you, not here." Aizawa looked around again, his voice lowering to the point that I had to strain to hear him "The things we need to talk about shouldn't be discussed in public, it's not safe."

That was another remark to add onto the pile of confusing things that Aizawa had said to me in the past few minutes. I didn't even know what to say to him, beyond simply asking for clarification or reiterating how confused I was.

"Listen, you just need to focus on the festival for now, we'll have this discussion somewhen else." Aizawa stood straight, suddenly acting like we had just had a perfectly normal conversation "

"Mr. Aizawa." I spoke up again to draw my mentor's attention, wanting to say my piece before our conversation ended "I just want to know what all of this is about."

"I'm sorry that I can't explain everything to you right now, and I know that some of my actions have been strange lately." Aizawa looked me dead in the eye with that sentence, driving home the importance of his words "But I promise that everything will make sense soon."

Aizawa left as quickly as he had appeared, leaving me alone in the corridor with nothing but my thoughts and questions. In a strange way, this conversation seemed like it was a long time coming, and I almost felt relieved that Aizawa had finally talked to me about whatever it was that we had just discussed.

There was a growing sense of something on the horizon that I just couldn't shake, as if there was some event that existed in my future, just out of reach. I wasn't sure how to best explain the sensation that had been coursing through my mind lately, but it felt like a creeping dread in the back of my mind.

Beyond this sensation, there was a series of events that had transpired recently that I couldn't really explain, but they all built towards this sensation of a coming storm. Aizawa's distant attitude after USJ and my discussion with Principal Nezu were the most concrete examples I could give, but they were far from the only things. On one occasion I could have sworn that I had been followed home, even after taking several detours that should have made it impossible to keep track of me through the winding alleyways, though I never saw the follower that I instinctively knew was there.

The sounds of hurried conversation from several voices interrupted my train of thought, though I mentally resolved to pick up that line of mental enquiry at a later date, as I had no intention of letting the subject slip from my mind that easily. I couldn't help but overhear the discussion echoing through the hallways, though the words only became clear as I kept walking through the corridor.

"I can't stand these uniforms."

"I know, but we don't have to deal with them for long."

"Did I mess up the measurements at all? I'm sure I can fix them if you'd like."

"Don't worry about it, I just want to get this over with."

"It shouldn't take too long, ribbit."

Wait. Did that last voice just say 'ribbit'? That particular vocal tic was something I had gotten used to hearing from Tsu ever since we had met, and hearing it was like flipping a switch in my mind. Once I recognised Tsu's voice, all of the other voices came into focus as well: Yaoyorozu, Jiro, Uraraka… In fact, all of the girls from Class 1A were talking aloud, and while it wasn't unusual to see them all together, I wondered exactly what had caused such intense conversation between all of them. And what exactly did they mean when they were talking about uniforms anyway?

I got my answer when the group emerged from another corridor several metres away from me, though part of me wished that I hadn't.

The six girls of Class 1A were all wearing cheerleader uniforms, identical to the ones worn by the American cheerleader troupe that had been brought in by UA for the festival. I blinked several times to ensure that I wasn't just hallucinating, though I wondered what it would say about me if I was hallucinating.

"Shinso!" Jiro noticed me first, looking away from the group "Uh… Hi."

"Hi…" I didn't know what else to say, though I immediately regretted saying anything when the rest of the group noticed my presence.

We stared at each other for several agonisingly long seconds, during which I did everything I could to simultaneously avoid awkward eye contact without making it seem like my eyes were roving anywhere unwanted, which was much easier said than done. I wished for someone to say something to break the silence, though a part of me wondered if whatever was said would only make the situation more awkward.

"I…" I begged my mind to come up with something to say, and my traitorous mind decided brutal honesty was the best path "I'm sorry, I don't have the social skills to deal with this."

I clamped my mouth shut as soon as I finished speaking, thanking every god I could think of that I had managed to keep my voice level when I spoke. I suddenly became very aware of my expressions and body language, and I did everything I could to avoid letting on how surprised I was.

"We're meant to wear these for a show before the fights." Yaoyorozu spoke up, sounding simultaneously embarrassed and confused "Mr. Aizawa arranged it."

Now that was surprising, and it instantly sent off dozens of alarm bells in my head. Every part of me felt certain that Aizawa wouldn't do such a thing, and I knew that this whole thing must have been either a trick or some kind of grievous communications error. The other possibility was that Aizawa really had arranged such a thing, and if that was the case I would probably leave UA tomorrow and see if Shiketsu had any openings for late-coming students.

Besides why would Aizawa arrange for his own students to wear those outfits, they were just so revealing and…

Not now Shinso, you have a fight to focus on, think pure thoughts.

"Are you sure that Aizawa said that?" I finally asked, breaking the silence again "Doesn't that seem a little… out of character?"

"Well, he didn't tell us directly…" Uraraka spoke this time "But Mineta and Kaminari told us that…"

"Damn it." Jiro muttered, as the metaphorical penny dropped and the group seemed to realise what had happened.

Well, that seemed to make a lot more sense, it was just the kind of scheme that Mineta would cook up and would be able to pull Kaminari into. I didn't dislike Kaminari, he was always friendly enough, if a little loud and brash for my taste. Mineta was another story, and while I did my best to tune out his voice whenever he spoke, the irritation that he inflicted on the rest of the class rubbed off on me as well. Pop-Off was by no means a bad Quirk, it was simply a shame that it was attached to such a loathsome person who insisted on sharing his opinions within earshot of me.

"We should probably go check with Mr. Aizawa, ribbit." Tsu spoke up, and I inwardly hoped that this wouldn't jeopardise the friendship I had built up with her.

"I'm changing first." Jiro said, and the rest of the group murmured in agreement.

"I can't believe I used my Quirk to make these outfits." Yaoyorozu sounded downcast, and I wished I had anything I could say to make this situation any better.

The group turned and went to walk away, leaving me behind in the latest situation of confusion and uncertainty that seemed to follow me today.

"Thanks Shinso!" Hagakure called out, startling me slightly "I mean I kind of wanted to do the dance but thanks for helping out anyway!"

The motion of Hagakure's clothes seemed to indicate she was waving, so I mustered the most polite wave I could without giving away how embarrassed I was. The rest of the group waved as well, though all of their faces indicated that they were as embarrassed as I was, and I wasn't sure if that made this situation better or worse.

I left the group of girls behind as they went back to the changing rooms, arguing all the way about how they had fallen for the trick, with at least one of them making a series of colourful threats towards Mineta. The larger part of my brain was simply trying to figure out what the hell I had just witnessed, and part of me felt more embarrassed than I'm sure all of them felt. Still, I hoped that I had spared them whatever embarrassment would have come from being dressed as cheerleaders in front of the majority of Japan. But beyond anything else, I simply hoped that I hadn't given away how embarrassed I was by the whole event.

Just how long was this hallway anyway? I'd ended up having three separate conversations in this one corridor, and I still didn't feel any closer to finding where I was meant to be. Just as that thought had crossed my mind, I noticed a sign in the corner of my eye, which was simply an arrow labelled '1A' pointing towards a small door in the side of the hallway. Oh well, I didn't have any better options, and this is probably where I was meant to go.

The doorway led to the observation box I had been searching for, with around thirty seats giving a commanding view of the arena below. They were probably the best seats in the whole stadium, and several large screens mounted around the arena would give a better view of the action as the fights unfolded. The 1A box was empty for now, meaning that Aoyama must have gone to do whatever it was he did to occupy himself, not that I really wanted to know.

For the moment, all I could think about was getting some sleep, and the padded chairs looked inviting enough for exactly that purpose.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_Well, this has certainly been a Chapter of many events, many of which are seeding future events and leading into the big divergence of this story, as well as a few comedic and character moments to relieve some tension before we go into the battles._

_The rivalry with Ojiro and the clash of ideals between the pair is something that I've been planning out for a while, and here is where it finally rears its ugly head. Adding this rivalry seemed natural to me, given the canon events that happened between Shinso and Ojiro in the Sports Festival. In addition, I didn't want everybody in Class 1A to like Shinso unconditionally straight away, as that's not how real life works and the way Shinso acts as a somewhat mysterious figure means some people will be naturally suspicious of him. If Ojiro's words are accurate, then he isn't the only one who holds this opinion in Class 1A…_

_Aizawa's appearance is another step towards the Underground Hero plot I've been hinting at, as well as showing some of the motive towards how he has acted towards Shinso. There's clearly some confusion and resentment that Shinso holds towards Aizawa right now, and we'll see how that develops soon enough. I've been trying to use more dialogue and show how Shinso, for all of his confidence on the battlefield, is as prone to uncertainty and confusion as any other person his age._

_The cheerleader scene was a gag I had an idea to include a little while ago, though I'm not really sure where I got the idea from. Still, I hope it was funny enough to show Shinso's more awkward side as he's confronted with a fairly unusual event. I know that I write Shinso as being a fairly calm and self-assured protagonist a lot of the time, but he is still a 15-year old teenager, and will act like one when confronted with situations like this._

_The battle with Ojiro takes place tomorrow, it's been a while since I've written a big fight scene, and this is simply the first of many for this arc._

_I have a Discord server now, and I'd love to see you over there. The link is in my profile page._

_Thanks for reading, I'll see you next time._

_And to answer some reviews:_

_XDBOI: Thanks for reviewing, I hope you enjoyed this new Chapter as well, and I'll do my best to keep things entertaining._

_Klincher: Good to see you as always Online, and thank you for the review. Lockdown has been so-so, though I've mainly just been at work constantly, hope you're doing alright as well. I'll be careful to toe the line between having Shinso give useful insights without simply recounting canon fights, and hopefully that will be entertaining enough._

_Amelia831: Thanks for the review, I'm glad to hear that you're looking forwards to the fight between Shinso and Ojiro, since it's something that I've been planning as a major plot beat for a while. As you've guessed, the fight will be based purely around skill, and the events of this Chapter mean that Shinso won't use Brainwashing. Kaminari is one of the characters I've been wanting to write Shinso interacting with more due to their canon 'friendship'; there's some interaction between the pair with this Chapter, but I'll keep a note of this and will probably pair them up for a training exercise in the future._

_Raven Mordrake: I'm a sucker for showing people's observations and thoughts to events, and the way this first fight will unfold will certainly raise some eyebrows amongst the rest of UA. Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoyed this Chapter as well._


	28. Chapter 28- Ideals

Chapter 28- Ideals

* * *

"Shinso."

The voice had spoken my name, but it barely permeated the haze of sleep that I was currently enjoying being immersed in, and it took every piece of discipline that I had to stop myself from simply blocking out the voice and settling back into sleep.

"Shinso, wake up."

It took significant effort, but I managed to force myself awake, opening my eyes to see a face hovering above me. It was Shoji, and he was looking at me with a fairly bemused expression on his face, or at least the part of his face that I could actually see.

"Are you alive down there or do I have to kick you or something?" Shoji asked, though the slight levity in his voice made me realise he was joking

"I'd rather you didn't." I murmured, still waking myself up "I think I'll get enough of that in the arena."

"Certainly." Shoji replied, still looking down at me "I admit, I foresee these matches getting rather heated."

I grimaced at that, my conversation with Ojiro coming back to mind as my sleep-addled brain struggled to process what I was being told by Shoji. I still didn't relish what was likely about to transpire between me and Ojiro, though my commitment to defend my ideals was as strong as ever. Thinking of Ojiro led me to thinking of the rest of Class 1A, which were conspicuously absent from the seating area that currently just contained Shoji and myself.

"Where's everybody else?" I groaned, stretching and clearly the last of the sleep stiffness from my body.

"On their way." Shoji gestured to the door behind him "I thought I'd get here first and spare you the embarrassment."

"You're a real Hero." I grinned, looking up at Shoji before a thought came to mind. "Wait, how did you know I'd be asleep up here?"

"I could see you from when I was down there." Shoji pointed to the side games being cleared up in the centre of the stadium, the distance of which reminded me of how incredible Shoji's sense were "You sleep with your mouth open, I thought you should know that."

"Don't make me regret being nice." I chuckled, always enjoying Shoji's dry sense of humour "Anyway, I'd better get to the preparation rooms."

"They haven't called for you yet, but it should only be a few minutes." Shoji's gaze followed me as I stood and made my way to the exit, ready to prepare myself for the fight.

"I'll be glad of the extra time to prepare." I replied, already thinking through strategies and plans to put into effect against Ojiro "I'll see you soon."

"Good luck." Shoji nodded in solidarity, before turning and sitting on one of the many seats that overlooked the arena where I would soon be fighting against Ojiro.

I made my way to the preparation room surprisingly easily, and I spent my time in the room stretching and warming up, preparing my body for the trial that lay ahead of me. Ojiro was clearly no slouch physically, and it would be foolish of me to assume that I was in for an easy fight, so I did everything I could to prepare myself. Basic stretches were all I needed to get myself ready, and soon enough my heart rate had risen to the point that I felt that I was ready for combat.

Beyond physical preparation, I spent every second I had thinking of strategies and plans that I could use to win the fight and overcome Ojiro's own formidable skill and strength. I made a habit of observing all of my classmates during training exercises and combat practise, and Ojiro was one of the people that I made sure to keep note of due to our overlapping skills and specialities. By my own observations, the students most proficient in close combat were Ojiro, Kirishima, Iida and myself, as all of us favoured a close-up style using punches, kicks and other such techniques in tandem with our Quirks. Bakugo and Midoriya were also partially within this category, though Bakugo's ability to fight at any range and Midoriya's poor control and incredible power meant that they could both fight at long distances as well.

Anyway, Ojiro lacked both Kirishima's incredible defence and Iida's speed, but he made up for his comparative lack of power with skill and precision combined with mastery of several Martial Arts. In a sense, we were parallels of each other, both lacking in destructive power and making up for this deficiency by using close-combat techniques to overcome our opponents. But we contrasted in our approach, Ojiro was straightforward and used his techniques to fight his foes and beat them with his own skill, and this had clearly shaped his ideals of the honourable Hero that would face down Villains and defeat them. In contrast, I had been taught to be pragmatic and vicious in how I fought my opponents, using whatever trick I could to come out on top.

Reflecting on our differences was a strange sensation, and it made me realise just how far I had strayed from the conventional ideals of heroism, and part of me wondered just how some of the people I knew outside of UA would react to some of the things that I had been trained to do.

An announcement from the speaker above my head shook me from my thoughts, the announcement stated that the first match was about to begin, and that I should make my way into the arena as soon as I could manage. I guess I was out of time to plan or strategize, and I could only hope that what I had come up with thus far would be enough to win me the match.

I walked through one of the large tunnels that led from the preparation room into the main arena, the noise and light of the stadium got louder and brighter as I moved through the tunnel. Truthfully, I was even more nervous to be standing in front of the crowd this time around, given that I wouldn't be able to blend into a group like I had in the past two events. Soon enough, I emerged from the artificial light of the tunnel into the bright day of the stadium, the endless sea of people present all around me cheering and clapping at the start of the first match.

The arena was a smaller version of the one used in the Cavalry Battle, being a featureless concrete square surrounded by a sea of green grass. A concrete path led from the entrance tunnel to a small set of stairs that led onto the slightly raised arena, and it was this path that I steadily walked across, heading towards the arena. As I walked up the stairs, I caught sight of Ojiro for the first time, walking a path opposite to mine, apparently having emerged from a tunnel identical to my own on the other side of the stadium. As we both made our way to the centre of the arena, I caught sight of Midnight standing on a raised platform, and the commentary from Present Mic informed me and the crowd that Midnight would be acting as the referee for the match. Cementoss was also sitting to the side of the arena, ready to repair any damage to the arena, though that likely wouldn't be needed for this first match.

Present Mic's commentary cut through the crowd again, this time announcing the participants of the fight.

"First up, it's a plain-looking guy with a tail and skills straight out of a Bruce Lee movie!." Present Mic called out to a cheering crowd "It's Mashirao Ojiro!

Ojiro looked faintly offended at being called plain-looking, which was admittedly a little harsh, but nonetheless fairly accurate.

"On the other side, he's a quiet guy with eyebags to rival Eraserhead here!" Mic called out to even more cheering, constantly building hype and anticipation "It's Hitoshi Shinso!"

Now it way my turn to be offended, did I really look that tired? True, I had been sleeping less and less since I had started training, but I didn't realise that it was that noticeable…

* * *

_As Present Mic's announcement rang out through the stadium, his words were also transmitted all over the world as the public watched the unfolding festival on TVs with keen interest. And as Shinso's name was called out by the Voice Hero, it provoked a variety of reactions from the people watching._

_Back in the Shinso household, Jōnetsu Shinso and her other two children, Maindo and Karisuma, cheered on Hitoshi's appearance. The sight of the eldest Shinso son standing proud in the centre of the UA Sport's Festival was one that they could scarcely have imagined before his encounter with Aizawa. They all had faith in Shinso's determination to become a Hero, but seeing his dreams coming into reality was enough to bring Jōnetsu to tears._

_All across Japan, Shinso's old classmates and teachers watched with wide eyes and disbelieving expressions as they saw Shinso walk into the arena. Their memory of the quiet and withdrawn Shinso that they had either ignored or outright shunned seemed barely connected to the confident figure they saw on the screens in front of them._

_Sitting right next to Present Mic, Aizawa watched as the first match begun, interested to see how two of his students would perform under the conditions of the match laid before them. Shinso and Ojiro were arguably the two most skilled close-combat fighters in Class 1A, and he expected an impressive display from both of them. Another part of Aizawa's mind moved to the conversation he had just had with Shinso, and he settled his thoughts with the knowledge that he would be able to resolve all of his confusion soon enough._

_Unbeknownst to both Shinso and Aizawa, there were two other figures sitting amongst the crowd at the Sports Festival, dressed as civilians simply going to enjoy a day of spectacle, though that couldn't be much further from the truth. The pair had watched Shinso's performance throughout the whole Festival, and they both watched closely to see how this first fight would unfold._

* * *

"Alright, you both know the rules, so let's get this started!" Midnight yelled with a characteristic crack of her whip.

Only a dozen metres sat between Ojiro and myself, though even from this distance I could see the conflict in Ojiro's expression. I knew that my own expression was likely similar despite my best efforts to appear focused and impassive.

I knew that this was my only chance to prove that my own methods and ideals were as heroic as Ojiro's and all the other Heroes in UA and beyond. I knew that I could never be the next All Might or Hawks, but that didn't mean that I couldn't be a Hero in my own way. If I lost this fight, then Ojiro would forever see my methods as lesser and unbefitting of a Hero, and that was an insult to myself and everybody who had helped me get this far.

"You don't have to go through with this Shinso." Ojiro looked me dead on, a mixture of emotions that I couldn't identify visible in his expression.

"3!"

"Yes, I do." I replied, determined to protect my ideals and show that I hadn't gotten this far simply through luck.

"2!"

"Have it your way then." Ojiro shot back, his fists tensing in anticipation.

"1!"

"I will." I replied, not knowing what else I could say to Ojiro beyond simply asserting my position again.

"Begin!"

As soon as Midnight announced the start of the fight, Ojiro and I began to walk towards each other, closing the distance of a dozen metres that sat between us until we were only a few paces away from each other. Once we were close enough to each other, we each dropped into our respective fighting stances. Ojiro's stance was solid, legs spaced perfectly apart and with arms raised to defend or attack, he was the image of a traditional martial-arts master. My own stance had seen a few revisions lately, and I had settled for something fairly unorthodox, a low stance that was almost crouching, ready to spring upwards and attack at any moment.

There was only silence for a moment, as we both assessed each other's strengths and weaknesses, though truthfully I could see little to exploit in Ojiro's stance. I knew that Ojiro was likely making the same assessments of me, and I could only hope that his trained eye wouldn't pick up any glaring weaknesses in my stance that I hadn't accounted for myself. The pause couldn't last forever though, and soon enough, Ojiro made his move.

Ojiro's opening move was a high kick aimed squarely at my head, a quick and acrobatic manoeuvre that would put a lot of Pro Heroes to shame, and possibly even catch them off guard. Thankfully, I had spent a lot of time blocking and dodging attacks from Aizawa, and while Ojiro was fast, Aizawa was like lightning. My low stance let me drop to the ground and swing outwards with my left leg, aiming to sweep out Ojiro's other leg and send him to the ground. I made contact and felt Ojiro's leg give out, sending him backwards and stopping him from changing the angle of his kick. Unfortunately, I hadn't accounted for Ojiro's Tail, and he used the extra limb granted by his Quirk to stop his descent and quickly put himself back on stable footing.

I leapt upwards and backwards, putting a bit of distance between Ojiro and myself so that he couldn't capitalise on me being momentarily wrong-footed by my failed attack. Ojiro used his Tail as a springboard to launch himself at me with a flying kick, which caught me on the shoulder and put me off balance. I compensated for the lack of balance by dropping to the ground, which at least stopped me from falling and being totally exposed.

Ojiro moved in to try and hit me while I was on the ground, but as soon as he was close enough I struck upwards with a kick of my own, lashing out in a quick and precise use of force. The kick struck Ojiro squarely in the chin, and the force of the hit pushed Ojiro away from me and send him reeling.

I used the brief opening I had brought myself to get back on my feet and assess my next move, though I only had a few seconds to plan before Ojiro had recovered and was ready to attack again. We both faced each other down again, only a little worse for wear after each taking a single strike, though it was already clear to me how skilled Ojiro was. Observing him was one thing, but actually facing down Ojiro was a wholly different experience.

I lunged forwards towards Ojiro, seeking to seize the initiative and catch Ojiro off guard with a sudden strike that he wouldn't have the time to respond to. I ducked low to avoid getting hit by a punch to the head, and I was barely a metre away from Ojiro before he had even hit back. I pulled my fist back and struck Ojiro squarely in the chest, feeling the impact of my strike connect solidly with my target.

Ojiro staggered back, but he didn't totally collapse or falter as I had expected, and I didn't have any time to follow up on my hit before Ojiro hit back. Ojiro spun on his heel and hit my right side with his Tail, the appendage lashing out with a speed that belied the large and muscular nature of the limb. I winced in pain at the sheer impact of the hit, Ojiro's Tail was basically pure muscle, and taking such a direct hit was staggering to say the least.

It was all I could do to stop myself from staggering or being sent to the ground by the hit, and only a solid stance and practise at taking hits like that stopped me from being totally floored by the strike. I lashed out with an elbow to Ojiro's stomach, adrenaline fuelling the speed of the strike and blocking out the pain form the last hit I had taken. Ojiro also managed to endure my attack, and we were both left face-to-face with each other, ready to attack or defend in an instant.

Once the slight distance between us had been closed, our careful combat devolved from precise counters into a more traditional fist fight, though each of us blocked or dodged as many strikes as we had landed. Our fight hadn't devolved into a disorganised scrap, it was instead more like a rapid-fire series of punches, blocks and counters that each of us applied in our own way. We were far too close to properly use kicks, though each of us threw in the occasional elbow or knee in an attempt to catch our opponent off guard. Although I landed several hits on Ojiro, he had also landed several on me, and pain emanated from several points on my body. I was keen to break up the combat for a moment, so I stepped backwards and lashed out with a spin kick, which hit Ojiro on the shoulder and pushed him slightly backwards. I took a short leap back to increase the distance between us, giving me some time to assess the situation of the fight so far.

I used the brief reprieve from the combat to catch my breath, though it took a good deal of effort to keep my breathing level and stable, keeping oxygen flowing through my body. I felt a warm liquid trickling from the corner of my mouth, and wiping my hand over the area revealed a smear of blood on the back of my hand. I couldn't even remember what hit had split my lip enough to draw blood, though I had taken several solid hits that all qualified to deal that kind of damage. Then again, Ojiro wasn't looking too fresh either, and it was clear that he was feeling the impact of my hits.

We faced each other down again after barely a moment's pause, ready to launch into combat again.

* * *

_The arena watched the fight in shocked silence, the sight of the battle unfolding in front of them stunning the onlookers. Even the Pro Heroes and UA students who were no strangers to combat found themselves watching with barely a word passing their lips. All eyes were on Shinso and Ojiro, and the clash that the pair were currently embroiled in._

_Everybody who had come to see the festival knew that they would be seeing combat, as it was an unavoidable fact of the heroics industry that students needed to fight in order to learn how to be the best heroes possible. But there was something different about this fight, this wasn't the clash of mighty and powerful Quirks that everybody had expected to open the final round of the festival; this was more like a fight from the days before Quirks, where people would clash with nothing but punches, kicks and other physical strikes._

_But beyond the physical nature of the fight, the most shocking thing was the sheer passion and ferocity that the two fought with, the pair were totally focused on each other, neither of them seemed to even register the outside world around them, instead being totally zoned in on their own clash. The sheer brutality of some of the strikes was enough to make some of the onlookers wince, and the display of martial skill from both students drove home that they were both well-trained in the various forms and moves that they were executing._

_Even the students of Class 1A were watching with uncharacteristic silence, shocked by the display of ferocity from both Shinso and Ojiro. To the class as a whole, they were both fairly friendly students, though Shinso was noticeably withdrawn and secretive at times. They couldn't imagine what had provoked this fight to the levels it had reached, which to many seemed to go far beyond a simple competition._

_More than anybody else, Shinso's three closest friends watched with confusion, wondering what had provoked their quiet companion to the point he would fight with such fire in his eyes._

* * *

I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep this up for, Ojiro hit hard, and this was probably the first time I had fought an opponent who could match all of the techniques that I had with his own, and knew how to fight back just as well. The last time I had fought an opponent like this was when I fought Aizawa at the end of my training, and back then I at least had my Capture Tools. My knuckles ached from throwing so many punches, and the strike that Ojiro had landed on my ribs still hurt now.

At the very least, I could see that I was giving Ojiro just as much trouble as I was going through, at least that seemed to be the case from his expressions. We seemed to be a perfect match for each other, each of us were left unable to overcome the other with either skill or strength, so we were stuck at an impasse.

That meant it was up to me to break the stalemate and come out on top, as I didn't think I could win in this current scenario.

I didn't have much I could do to tilt the fight in my favour, the arena was small and featureless, so moving to favourable terrain or finding an improvised weapons was impossible.

Or was it?

Before the idea that I was forming could be completed, Ojiro attacked again, using his tail to launch himself forwards and attacking with a series of kicks aimed squarely at my head. I ducked under the first few blows and grabbed Ojiro's leg before he could pivot and continue striking me. Using the force of Ojiro's own attacks, I threw him over my shoulder and slammed him into the ground with as much force as I could manage. Before I could follow up, Ojiro launched another kick from his prone position that hit me square in the stomach, forcing me away from Ojiro and making me unable to capitalise on my advantage.

Ojiro leapt to his feet, using his tail to propel himself upwards with impressive speed, and he leaped towards me without even hesitating. I managed to react just in time by rolling out of the way, simultaneously launching my own kick towards Ojiro, which caught him in the shoulder before he could react. The hit wasn't solid, but it sent Ojiro slightly off balance, sending him spiralling away from me as he tried to regain his footing before I could follow up on my attack.

I knew this was my best chance to put my plan into action without Ojiro noticing what I was up to, so while Ojiro was recovering and readying himself for my attack, I unzipped the UA sports shirt that we wore for training events that didn't require us to use our Hero Costumes. Thinking my plan over, I was silently grateful that I had had the foresight to wear a black vest under the shirt, as I didn't really feel like being shirtless in front of most of Japan.

I had practised quickly throwing off the shirt while in the preparation room, thinking of the manoeuvre as a last resort if Ojiro had managed to push me into a corner or if we had reached a stalemate. I knew that I was far more adept in combat when I had a weapon or tool at my disposal, and while the shirt wasn't my Capturing Tools, it would suffice. But in the end, I probably only had one shot to pull this off, and I wasn't sure that I could win if I didn't catch Ojiro off guard and tilt things in my favour.

Ojiro was back on his feet and ready to fight again, and if he had noticed the slight change in my appearance, then it didn't seem to phase him or factor into his approach. He likely thought that the shirt had simply come undone during the tangle of combat between us, which was exactly the thing I was counting on for this gambit to work. Ojiro's words about fighting dirty flashed through my mind, and I wondered if I would only cement his view of me with what I was about to do.

Putting my plan into action, I fell to one knee while clutching the side of my head, a false expression of anguish and irritation on my face as I clamped my eyes shut for a moment. I was doing my best to fake a concussion or other head injury, something that wasn't exactly unexpected given the hits I had already taken this fight. I staggered back up to my feet with false difficulty, doing everything I could to sell the impression of being on my last legs. I raised my arms in a loose and messy stance, one that was wide open to an experienced fighter like Ojiro, something that he would surely know how to capitalise on.

Sure enough, Ojiro lunged forwards towards me, surely intent on pushing me out of the ring to end the fight as quickly and cleanly as possible. It would have been a smart move in any other situation, my back was close to the ring and I appeared to be almost out of fight as it was, if I was in Ojiro's position then I might well have done the same thing. But as Ojiro held both of his hands forwards to give me a strong shove, I knew that my plan had worked.

As soon as I was sure that Ojiro was committed to the move and wouldn't have time to change his trajectory, I made my move, the sequence of actions that I would need to take burned into my mind. The façade of weakness dropped in a second, and I put one leg backwards to reinforce myself against Ojiro's push so that he wouldn't be able to take me out of the ring or throw me off balance. At the same time, I threw my shoulders back to loosen the shirt and pulled one of my arms out of it, using the other arm to bring the discarded garment in front of me.

I stepped forwards slightly to push myself into range, and pulled the shirt upwards and around Ojiro's arms, using the shirt in a similar manner to my Capture Tools to bind his arms together and restrict their movement. I pulled the shirt tight to ensure that Ojiro couldn't get free and then yanked him towards me as best I could manage. All of this transpired in only a few seconds, and it was clear from Ojiro's lack of immediate reaction that I had managed to catch him off guard.

Once he was close enough, I lashed out with a knee to Ojiro's stomach to try and daze him as much a possible, still keeping a tight hold on his arms to stop him from getting free or striking back at me. The knee connected solidly, and I saw Ojiro grimace in pain and shock as soon as I had hit him. I followed up with a headbutt that struck Ojiro solidly again, and I had managed to strike in such a way that I wouldn't feel as much of the pain from the attack as he did. I didn't like using a technique as sloppy as a headbutt, but my arms were busy and I needed to get Ojiro as disoriented as possible.

A second after this hit, I put the last part of my plan into action, pulling Ojiro towards me again as I span on my heel and lunged towards the very edge of the arena. I used all of my strength to throw Ojiro behind me, sending him flying towards the edge of the arena as I released my hold on his arms, though I still clutched my shirt in my hand. Ojiro flew towards the ground, and it was clear from his movements that he didn't have the means or awareness to stop himself from hitting the grass outside of the arena. A second later, he hit the ground with an audible thud, and I was left alone, standing in the ring.

The entire exchange from Ojiro leaping towards me to him hitting the ground had taken less than ten seconds, even though it had felt a great deal longer to me. The crowd was in stunned silence for several seconds, the audience taking time to process what had just unfolded in front of them, and even the Heroes sitting on one side of the stadium were quiet for a moment. All I could hear was my own breathing, and the frantic sound of my own heartbeat thumping in my ears as I waited for whatever would happen next.

Then, in an instant, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, the deafening wave of sound hitting me and shaking me from my stupor of exhaustion. It was an exhilarating experience, and it was only my better judgement that stopped me from staying in the arena and basking in the sound for any longer than I needed to. I turned and walked back across the arena towards the archway that I had entered the arena from, hearing Midnight's announcement cut through the cheers behind me.

"Ojiro has been knocked out of the ring!" Midnight called out, though her voice barely registered over the sound of my heartbeat in my ears "The winner is Hitoshi Shinso!"

* * *

_Author's Note_

_I forget how much fun I have writing fight scenes, which is pretty lucky given how many of them are coming up in the next few Chapters. I hope that the fighting was entertaining for all of you, and that the outcome was satisfying._

_I can't say I have too much more to add on this one, so I'll just leave it here. The next Chapter will be Shinso observing the other fights (though this might be split into two Chapters depending on how things pan out), and the one after that will be Shinso's next fight._

_I have a Discord server now, and it would be great to see some more people join. The link is in my profile page, and I'd love to see you there._

_Thanks for reading, I'll see you next time._

_And to answer some reviews:_

_Donovan2771: Wow, I didn't even realise at first. It's a shame I haven't been able to write nearly as much as I would like, but I'm committed to doing better this year. Thanks for reviewing, I hope you enjoyed this Chapter as well._

_Hatakewerbenjagermanjensen: Thanks for the kind review, I hope you enjoyed this Chapter as well. I'm glad to hear that I'm keeping the hype coming, I'll be sure to keep things exciting._

_Constellation112: Thank for you for the very kind review, I'm glad to hear that you've been enjoying the story thus far. I'm also pretty relieved to hear that you're enjoying the Underground Hero stuff, since that will graduate to the Main Plot pretty soon._


	29. Chapter 29- Endless Battle: Part 1

Chapter 29- Endless Battle: Part 1

* * *

Recovery Girl had fussed over my condition for a bit, though I had gotten used to that by now, given how every training exercise in UA was followed by a cursory inspection from UA's nurse. I knew that I was fine except for a few cuts and bruises, but I couldn't bring myself to get annoyed at Recovery Girl's overbearing nature, since I knew that she had our best interests at heart. At the moment, she was busy alternating between checking my injuries and scolding me for being so reckless and getting myself injured. From what I had heard this was fairly standard behaviour for Recovery Girl, but since I had largely avoided injury during training and sparring this was my first exposure to her scolding.

Eventually, I was sent on my way after Recovery Girl had used her Quirk on me and left me with a handful of candies to replenish my energy. UA's nurse then went to tend to Ojiro who was waiting in the next room, apparently not requiring any urgent medical care either, which was a relief to hear. Our fight had been intense and emotions were running high, and while I had done everything I could to ensure that I could subdue Ojiro as quickly and cleanly as possible, nothing was ever certain when in combat and freak injuries could happen.

I still wasn't sure what I could say to Ojiro, but I knew for sure that now wasn't the right time to get my thoughts across to my classmate. Instead I took the easy route and made my way back to the Class 1A observation box, interested to see who would be my opponent in the next round of the tournament. I hoped that I hadn't missed much of the fights, since missing out on observing my opponents would put me at a disadvantage in the next round.

When I arrived at the boxes again, I saw Shoji, Tokoyami and Tsu sitting in one corner, and the three of them all turned towards me when they saw I had arrived back from my fight. Shoji waved me over to the empty seat that I had been sleeping in earlier, which I eagerly took in an attempt to rest myself as much as possible before the next round. Recovery Girl's Quirk used up the recipient's stamina to heal them, and while my injuries were all minor, I didn't want to go into the next fight feeling drained in the slightest, so resting up was the best option.

Just from the corner of my eye, I could see a few apprehensive looks from Koda and Mineta, who were looking at me with no small amount of concern in their eyes. I knew that both Koda and Mineta were members of the class who were a little uncomfortable with the combat and violence that came with being in UA's Hero Class. While they both possessed useful Quirks with an impressive level of utility, I knew that they would have to get over their aversion to violence and combat in general if they were going to last in this class. Aizawa wouldn't hesitate in expelling somebody for a personality shortcoming like that, so I hoped that they would be able to get over their problems in that area.

Okay, I hoped that Koda got over this problem, I wouldn't be too bothered if Mineta was kicked out.

"Congrats Shinso, ribbit." Tsu spoke up first, alerting the rest of the Class to my arrival "That was a pretty intense fight."

"Thanks." I rubbed the back of my neck in awkwardness, still not comfortable with being openly praised in front of people "It was pretty close though, I got lucky at the end."

"You made a gambit that worked in your favour." Tokoyami cut in, sounding as dramatic as ever "I would say that's more a matter of skill than luck, it speaks to your intuition."

I grinned slightly at the praise, but I did my best to try and deflect attention away from me by focusing everybody's eyes back on the fight unfolding in the arena in front of me. Strangely enough nobody else seemed to be too engaged with the battle, instead they were all either talking amongst themselves or looking towards me.

"What have I missed?" I pointed to the unfolding melee in the stadium, the blurry shapes of Kirishima and Tetsutetsu clashing against each other with impressive gusto.

"Not too much." Jiro answered first, sounding a little bored with the display in front of her "They've been doing this for the last ten minutes."

I turned to see what Jiro was talking about, the large screens giving me a better view of the unfolding fight.

Kirishima and Tetsutetsu were stood face-to-face with each other in the dead centre of the arena, exchanging punches and kicks without even flinching at the sheer force of their attacks. Tetsutetsu seemed to possess a Quirk that covered his entire body in a metallic coat, which clearly gave him an impressive defence as well as adding an extra punch to all of his strikes. The scene unfolding in front of me was akin to two brick walls smashing into each other, neither of them flinching or moving despite the crushing nature of the blows they rained onto each other.

Tetsutetsu's Quirk was uncanny in how similar it was to Kirishima's, as both Quirks focused on a near-impervious physical defence while also granting a boost to attack. The pair also seemed to be similar in temperament, as I had seen Tetsutetsu shouting about 'Manliness' and other idioms during our break in the cafeteria, and I was fairly sure I had heard Kirishima say exactly the same phrases during many training exercises and in the changing rooms. Kirishima had often openly lamented how his Quirk wasn't flashy or exciting enough to catch the attention of both civilians and other Pro Heroes, and the appearance of a doppelgänger like Tetsutetsu surely wouldn't help his insecurity.

The brawl went on for several minutes more, with each of the participants taking blows that would probably floor me in an instant without even breaking a sweat. Honestly it was almost difficult to watch, though that was probably due to the knowledge that I would be on the receiving end of some of those blows in the next round, and I couldn't tell who of the pair hit harder.

Despite the seemingly basic nature of the pair's fight, I did everything I could to analyse any tells and weaknesses that either of them showed, anything that would give me an advantage in the next fight. Tetsutetsu seemed to favour his left side, and his footwork was a little slow and clumsy, which could be exploitable. Kirishima favoured offence over defence, trusting in his Quirk to protect him from damage; but most of his attacks were wide punches that were slower than quick jabs, so I might be able to beat Kirishima in speed.

After a while longer, the punches seemed to finally have an impact on the two participants, as their punches slowed and the strength behind their blows seemed to grow less and less. Though both participants were clearly incredibly durable, it was clear that neither of them possessed unlimited stamina, and they were both reaching their limits. Despite their exhaustion, both of the fighters were able to keep their Quirks active to protect themselves, though I suspected that they had deactivated their Quirks under their uniforms to save energy without showing weakness. I knew from experience that Kirishima could activate his Quirk in specific areas, and if the same was true of Tetsutetsu then that was another thing I could take advantage of.

The pair both threw a final punch towards each other, their actions were a perfect mirror of each other, and while their technique was exhausted and sloppy, both hits connected solidly. With these punches thrown, both Kirishima and Tetsutetsu stumbled backwards, wavering on their feet for a moment before finally falling. Both fighters collapsed to the ground in twin heaps of exhaustion, and there was a moments silence as the audience processed what had happened to the competitors. Midnight also seemed to be thrown for a loop as well, as it took a while for the usually outspoken Pro to announce the result of the match to the stunned crowd.

"Kirishima and Tetsutetsu have both been knocked out!" Midnight finally called out, sounding a little unsure of her words in the face of what had just unfolded "The fight is a draw!"

Present Mic hurried to cover Midnight, announcing that the draw would be resolved by a small contest after the first round of fights had come to a close. It was a strange fight all of the way through, as Kirishima and Tetsutetsu seemed to be evenly matched in almost every way, even going as far to draw in an almost identical manner. I wondered what exactly the contest would be, and who would win it.

* * *

Bakugo stared down his opponent with his usual mania, though the usually upbeat and carefree Uraraka stared straight back with an uncharacteristic intensity. Now that I thought about it, Uraraka had been pretty focused and intense all day, it seemed that she had found her fighting spirit, which was something to commend.

I didn't know Uraraka too well, but I thought that she had focused her endless enthusiasm on being a rescue Hero that specialised in natural disasters, which was an area that didn't get as much focus as beating villains despite arguably being more important. This fact made me think that Bakugo was the guaranteed winner of this fight, since he focused purely on combat, something that he was incredibly proficient in. But seeing Uraraka facing down Bakugo with such fervour in her eyes made me reconsider my assumptions, and I knew that this would be a match to watch closely.

As soon as the match had begun, Uraraka charged forwards towards Bakugo, a decision that was equal parts brave and foolish. It would seem sensible to keep as much distance from Bakugo as possible, but Uraraka's Quirk only worked on physical contact, so maybe she was trying to use her Quirk on Bakugo as quickly as possible. As soon as Uraraka was within a few metres of Bakugo, the explosive teen let loose one of his signature explosive blasts, the smoke from which obscured Uraraka completely.

Once the smoke had cleared, Bakugo was left standing alone with Uraraka's jacket, which only registered on his expression at the last second. Before I could see where Uraraka had ended up, she appeared behind Bakugo, hand outstretched and ready to use her Quirk and immobilise her opponent. Without even a second of hesitation, Bakugo spun on his heel and lashed out with another explosion that sent Uraraka flying backwards from him in a blast of force. Bakugo's reaction speed was ludicrous, and I struggled to see how Uraraka would be able to win if she just kept lunging straight towards him. I knew that Bakugo was a possible opponent later on, and the prospect of facing him down was something that I didn't exactly relish, given how powerful and skilled he was.

Uraraka's desperate lunges repeated several times again, and each time she was rebuffed by Bakugo, who continually produced explosions without even seeming to tire. I wracked my brain trying to figure out what Uraraka was planning, surely she wasn't stupid enough to just keep trying the same thing over and over again? If Uraraka was going for some kind of endurance match, she would surely lose, since the nature of Bakugo's Quirk meant that he could produce larger and larger explosions as he produced more sweat.

I looked around the arena for any sign of a plan, scanning for a manoeuvre or strategy that I had missed, and it was only then that I realised what the play was. I made a mental note to proceed with caution if I was ever matched against Uraraka in sparring, since what she had set up here poke to the true power of her Quirk. It was ingenious on Uraraka's part, and it was something that could honestly give her a chance of defeating Bakugo in an instant.

As the cycle of explosions continued, various Pros started shouting their concerns as loudly as possible, drawing the attention of the entire stadium by booing and calling for Bakugo to end the fight and stop toying with Uraraka. I was a little shocked that the Pro Heroes hadn't realised what was going on, they had a commanding view of the stadium and they were meant to be the professionals in the arena.

In his usual sardonic manner, Aizawa reprimanded the Pro for his lack of observational skills, and told the Hero in question to start looking for a new job. Admittedly it was a little harsher than his usual remarks, but the idea of a Pro Hero with such a lack of observational skills patrolling the streets was a worrying one.

"I'm surprised that all of these Pros wouldn't notice what's happening, given that they've been doing this for years." I muttered to myself, and I explained further when I saw the confusion on several of my classmate's faces "You think they would see something so obvious."

I pointed up to Uraraka's planned assault, which consisted of dozens of chunks of debris floating above the arena, each of which must have been pushed up while Bakugo was distracting everybody with his explosions and smokescreens. It seemed that Bakugo had finally noticed what was happening as well, the commotion from the crowd had drawn his attention upwards, and I saw his eyes widen slightly at the surprise attack. Uraraka grinned through the exhaustion at Bakugo, pushing her hands together and releasing the shower of debris onto her opponent.

Bakugo looked upwards at the falling chunks of concrete, seemingly sizing up the attack that was bearing down on him at a rather frightening speed, and he clearly made no effort to dodge. Bakugo raised a single hand and let loose his largest explosion yet, the force of the detonation blasting the concrete into fine powder and sending Uraraka flying backwards out of the ring in a single wave of force. The force of the explosion was large enough to reach us up in the observation boxes, and I felt the heat of the detonation on my skin.

The fight was over just like that, and Bakugo stood triumphant in the centre of the arena for only a second before turning on his heel and walking out of the arena. I wondered what exactly could be done to defeat such a powerful opponent, and if anybody in our class could even overcome Bakugo's relentless aggression. I had my doubts as to whether or not I would be able to beat Bakugo, a fight that could possibly occur if we both won our next fights.

* * *

Shoji would be fighting Yaoyorozu for the next match, which was likely to be one of the most interesting matchups of the day. Both Shoji and Yaoyorozu were in possession of versatile Quirks that they used in creative ways, and I was interested to see how the match would unfold, as well as who would come out on top. Shoji was far more physically powerful than Yaoyorozu, but her Quirk was much more versatile than his, having conceivably no limit to what she could create other than size.

Truthfully I found Yaoyorozu to be one of the most intimidating students in the class, though her demeanour would initially make that seem like a strange statement, especially given some of the more fearsome personalities that made up class 1A. But Yaoyorozu was essentially prepared for almost any encounter, given that her Quirk let her produce equipment that could counter almost any Quirk that she came up against. The mental exercises I had ran through concerning myself fighting Yaoyorozu were… concerning to say the least, and a lot of my usual tricks could conceivably be countered. Night vision goggles made stealth far more difficult, and the ability to create new weapons and tools on the fly meant that trying to disarm Yaoyorozu was largely futile. I had also overheard Yaoyorozu mention to Jiro that her parents had enrolled her in various combat and martial arts classes over the years, including fencing and taekwondo, so she was clearly no slouch in combat either.

Shoji was equally intimidating, though it was his physical capabilities that gave me pause for thought this time over, especially after the last time we had thought in the first combat exercise at UA. Shoji was a grappler above all else, and his extra arms and physical strength meant that he would likely be able to subdue any foes that he was able to grasp onto. My best defence against Shoji was the he was comparably quite slow, and so it was best to attack from a distance and use hit-and-run to avoid staying within Shoji's range for too long, lest he end the fight right there. Shoji was also very physically durable, so it would take a lot of strikes to bring him down, and that again risked staying too close to Shoji and getting grabbed.

Truthfully, I was excited to see how this battle would unfold, as it would likely be a contest of close quarters combat. Anything involving close combat would provide a great deal of information on how my classmates fought and give me new moves to think of and analyse, as well as learning new counters. Shoji was a good friend, and I instinctively rooted for him to win the fight so that I would be able to see him progress further in the tournament. Though I didn't know her as well, I had a certain respect for Yaoyorozu and her intelligence, and seeing her co-ordinate the defence of her group in the USJ made me realise she was more than just a pampered rich girl.

The pair stood from their seats and moved to leave the observation box, ready to engage in the next fight before the already cheering crowd. Yaoyorozu was closer to the exit and disappeared into the arena, but as Shoji walked past me towards the exit he hesitated for a moment.

"Any tips for me Shinso?" Shoji looked to me as he went to leave, an unreadable expression on his masked face "I'm not quite sure how to proceed with this fight and I would value your input."

I thought of a strategy for a second, wondering how I would act if I was in Shoji's position and what he could do to win the match.

"Yaoyorozu's intelligent, and if you give her enough time then she'll come up with a way to beat you." I looked towards Shoji, hoping that my advice was sound enough to give him an edge "But she gets flustered, if you attack quickly, then you'll be able to win."

Shoji seemed to consider my words for a moment before nodding and leaving, readying himself for the fight ahead. The advice I had given him was the best counter for Yaoyorozu that I had yet developed, an all-out attack with no hesitation that left minimal time for planning and item creation. I had noticed in several training exercises that Yaoyorozu could often be wrong-footed in the face of a sudden attack, and it seemed that she could easily be overwhelmed in stressful situations. This weakness would likely be exaggerated by both the stress of fighting in front of a large crowd and the small size of the arena, as well as fighting against an opponent as physically intimidating as Shoji.

Soon enough, Shoji and Yaoyorozu were facing each other down in the arena, and the match was about to begin. As soon as Midnight announced the start of the match, Shoji dashed forwards far quicker than I had seen him move in the past, seemingly taking my words to heart. I made a quick mental note to not underestimate Shoji's speed in the future, while he moved slower than most in close combat, he was clearly very capable of moving quickly when he wanted to.

Yaoyorozu seemed shocked by the sudden assault, and she raised her arm and created a large metal shield from her arm, raising it high in defence. The shield was reminiscent of a medieval style kite shield, and the speed that it had appeared with was a testament to how quickly Yaoyorozu could create large items. Against any other opponent this would have been a decent plan, but shields were only effective when the user was strong enough to resist the force of the attack they were defending against.

Unfortunately, Shoji's strength was enough to overcome the defence, and a single swing of his arm was enough to buckle the hastily-created shield and throw it from Yaoyorozu's grip and leave her defenceless. Before Yaoyorozu could create anything to help her in the fight, a two-handed shove from Shoji sent her falling backwards and off of the edge of the ring, where Yaoyorozu had positioned herself in order to buy some time to act. Buying time was a sensible idea given that Yaoyorozu's Quirk needed preparation in order to be properly effective, but putting herself right on the edge of the arena against a physically adept opponent like Shoji just made it easier for him to knock her out.

The fight had ended in a moment, Shoji had used his formidable strength to overcome Yaoyorozu's defence and win the match, and to any onlookers it would seem that Yaoyorozu had hardly put up a fight at all. In truth, I knew that Yaoyorozu was capable of developing incredible strategies if given the time, but she had a bad habit of making poor or rash decisions when under pressure and unable to use her plans. If Shoji had been more hesitant and given Yaoyorozu some time to prepare a more impressive defence, then the match could have gone the opposite way easily enough.

Adaptability was an important skill for a Hero to learn, and that fact was something that Aizawa had drilled into my mind from the earliest days of my training. I had been taught to change plans on the fly and come up with several different strategies for any given encounter, so that I would always have a fallback plan. I hoped that some of this lesson would be passed onto Yaoyorozu, it would be a shame to see her intelligence wasted if she was unable to think on her feet.

* * *

Tokoyami was up next, and he would be fighting the Shiozaki girl from Class 1B, who truthfully none of us had any idea about or how she would fight, so Tokoyami was effectively going in blind. As far as I could tell, Shiozaki's Quirk allowed her to control the vines that made up her hair, though to what degree she could control them was an open question.

The pair were facing off now, and while I was trying to analyse Shiozaki's skills, a conversation seemed to start between them.

"I swear before Almighty God." Shiozaki spoke aloud, the microphones around the arena picking up her words "I shall defeat you here, demon of the deepest darkness."

"We shall see about that, daughter of the light." Tokoyami replied, Dark Shadow coiled behind him, ready to strike "But the darkness of my soul is enough to defeat you."

Most of the stadium seemed a little bewildered at what was going on, but both Tokoyami and Shiozaki were far too focused on their conversation to notice.

"It seems that Class B have their own Tokoyami." Shoji smirked beside me in a rare display of amusement "They both look really into this."

I smirked myself in acknowledgement, it was good to see that Class 1B had somebody as committed to their aesthetic as Tokoyami was, though Shiozaki had clearly cast herself in opposite character to Tokoyami's. Midnight called out and begun the fight, and both of the combatants struck out, ready to defeat the other.

Dark Shadow rushed forwards, though the afternoon sun was still beating down on the arena, the sentient Quirk was a large and foreboding presence that surged towards Shiozaki with determination to knock her out of the ring. But before the living shadow could reach Shiozaki, she deployed her own Quirk, with the vines that made up her hair rapidly grew and moved to ensnare Dark Shadow.

Tokoyami directed his Quirk to dodge the vines, but as soon as it did so, Shiozaki simply produced more vines to block off the creature's new route of attack. These new vines managed to ensnare Dark Shadow's left talon, and while the shadow was eventually able to tear itself free of the tangle of vines, Shiozaki simply produced more and more to cover every possible of attack. This constant struggle raged on for a few more minutes, but more and more vines caught onto Dark Shadow, and it seemed that the Quirk's movements were getting slower and slower as it was restrained by the vines.

"Tokoyami's on the ropes, ribbit." Tsu spoke up, looking on at the unfolding fight with a rare expression of concern on her face "I'm not sure if he can win."

"Of course he can." I replied, drawing looks from half the class who were seemingly confused by my words on the situation "Tokoyami has an advantage he can use, he just needs to figure it out. But he's smart enough to notice it."

"What do you mean Shinso?" Midoriya looked up from his frantic scribblings in his notebook and towards me.

"Shiozaki can produce an awful lot of vines, enough to cover half the arena." I gestured towards the struggle in the arena, seeing how many vines Shiozaki had created "Those vines… they cast shadows."

With fairly uncanny timing, Tokoyami seemed to notice this weakness in Shiozaki's strategy as well, and he directed Dark Shadow to duck under one of the largest clusters of vines. Anybody who didn't know how Tokoyami's Quirk worked would see this as a totally suicidal manoeuvre, but it was his best chance of winning this match. Dark Shadow struggled to carry out these orders due to the restraints on it, but it eventually managed to enter the patch of shadow that the vines had created.

As soon as Dark Shadow was covered by the vines, it grew more than twice over, easily shredding the vines that had just recently held it in place in an impressive display of strength. Tokoyami had clearly directed Dark Shadow to avoid damaging the vines that were giving it the darkness that it needed to grow to such a size, so it stayed beneath the shade so that it could maintain it's power. Shiozaki's shock was visible on the screen, but she was too slow to react or do anything else about the sudden new threat that Dark Shadow presented.

Before Shiozaki could do anything about this new threat, Dark Shadow smashed through the vines and charged straight at her, tearing forwards at a speed that belied it's large size. Having been on the receiving end of an attack by Dark Shadow, I was well aware of how quick Tokoyami's Quirk could be in confined spaces, and it would surely be even more dangerous in an open area where it could move unrestricted. Dark Shadow finally made impact with Shiozaki, and even though she tried to defend herself by creating more vines to restrain Dark Shadow, the beast's momentum carried it through the hastily-created vines.

The impact of the charge knocked Shiozaki from her feet and pushed her out of the arena with ease, the sudden end to the prolonged fight leaving the audience in stunned silence for a few seconds. Soon enough the crowd burst into raucous applause, and Midnight announced the end of the match with her usual flourish as Present Mic called out with a dramatic recounting of the events that had just unfolded. Tokoyami banished Dark Shadow and calmly walked from the arena with his usual stoicism, while Shiozaki pulled herself to her feet and paced away with a humbled expression.

Tokoyami had secured the win for himself, though part of me worried that the function of his Quirk might have been made obvious to a particularly observant opponent. It would be obvious to anybody who was paying attention that Tokoyami's Quirk had grown dramatically in size and strength as soon as it was covered by shade, and this had secured his victory. It would be easy for someone to assume that the opposite was true, and light would weaken Dark Shadow to the point that it would be easy to defeat Tokoyami and his Quirk.

Bakugo and Todoroki were both still in the tournament and they each had the capability of producing enough light to weaken Dark Shadow, though Todoroki's reluctance to use his fire might hold him back. Then again, Todoroki had briefly used a burst of fire during the Cavalry Battle when he had been cornered by several other teams, so he could do the same if Tokoyami overpowered him to the point of desperation. On the other hand Bakugo had no such hesitation in using his Quirk, but he could only meet Tokoyami in the final round if both of them got that far, so that was a concern for the future.

I made a mental note to mention this to Tokoyami when I got the opportunity, while he was certainly intelligent enough to figure his dilemma out for himself, I felt obligated to help my friend out if anything had slipped his attention. For now I had my own fight to prepare for, and I was swiftly running out of time to find a way to beat Kirishima.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_I spent a while wondering if this Chapter would be better split into two, as I didn't want to rush the fights and make it seem like I was simply skimming over them. But given the very positive reception to the last Chapter, I didn't want to delay Shinso's next match by two whole Chapters and leave everybody waiting. In addition, four of the seven fights are the same as ones that happened in canon, and I didn't want to spend a whole Chapter's worth of words just having Shinso react to fights we had already seen._

_Still, I hope that Shinso's insights were at least interesting to see, as I always like showing his strategic opinions on how his classmates act and fight with each other. Also I hope that the fights with Shoji, Tokoyami and Asui were all interesting enough to see, as they're the secondary characters of this story and I wanted to give them all time to shine and show their skill._

_Anyway, the next Chapter will cover Shinso's fight with Kirishima, which could end up being far more brutal than his fight with Ojiro given how Kirishima's Quirk makes him almost impervious to physical attack. We'll see if Shinso can manage to come out on top, but either way it certainly won't be easy for him._

_I've also given this story a new summary, since I was never really happy with the old one for a reason that I could never really put my finger on, and I think this new summary reflects the tone and direction of this story better._

_I have a Discord server now, and if you'd like to join and chat for a bit, then I'd like to see you there. The link is in my profile page._

_Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next time._

_And to answer some reviews:_

_Guest: Thank you for the review, I'm glad to hear than you're enjoying the story and I hope that this new Chapter was enjoyable to read as well._

_Aleska1492: I'm glad that you enjoyed the fight, I'm glad that I managed to keep the combat scenes interesting, and it's also good to hear that the contrast in ideals and morality came through nicely as well. The Underground Hero stuff will be front and centre in the next arc, so it's good to hear that you're interested. As for Shinso's advancement in the eyes of his classmates, though he's come a long way from when they knew him, he's got a lot further to go yet. Thanks for the review, I'm glad to see that you're enjoying the story._

_Hatakewerbenjagermanjensen: Thanks for the positive review, though I enjoy writing fight scenes I always wonder if I've made them engaging enough, so I'm glad to see that this fight came across well._

_SilverWolf227: This might be the first review I've gotten that made me audibly laugh, so thanks for that. I hope you enjoyed this Chapter as well._

_Klincher: Thank you as always for the kind words, it's good to hear that I'm keeping you engaged and I hope that you enjoyed this Chapter and whatever comes next._

_Constellation112: Thanks for the review, I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the fight. Unfortunately any fight with Shinso where he is without his equipment and unable to use Brainwashing is never going to be super flashy, but it's good to hear that the emotion of the fight came across and kept things interesting._


	30. Chapter 30- Endless Battle: Part 2

Chapter 30- Endless Battle: Part 2

* * *

Iida was fighting Mei Hatsume from the Support Class, who was remarkable for the fact that she was the only non-Hero Class student in the final round of the Festival. As a Support student, Hatsume was allowed to bring any of her own equipment into the arena to make up for the lack of Hero Class training, an advantage that I was more than a little jealous of. Strangely enough, Iida was also wearing several pieces of equipment, and when questioned on this by Midnight, he announced that Hatsume had asked him to use several pieces of the gear, though he didn't announce the reason why she had asked him such a thing.

Though judging by the grin on Hatsume's face, she probably had an ulterior motive.

Sure enough, as soon as the match had started and Iida had charged towards Hatsume, the various pieces of equipment that he had strapped to his body immediately started to sabotage his attempts at movement. As soon as Iida got near Hatsume, a hidden engine or wheel would deploy and send Iida away from Hatsume again. Iida's engine-powered movement was used against him whenever he tried to move of his own volition, the momentum of his kicks being used against him as his legs were moved away from Hatsume whenever Iida got close to her.

As this was going on, Hatsume produced a microphone that had been tapped into the stadium's sound system, and launched into a sales pitch about all of the equipment she had developed. I dimly remembered hearing that various Hero Support companies attended the UA Sports Festival to scout the students of the Support Course in the same way that Pro Heroes scouted the Festival for the Hero Course students. I could understand in a way the need to draw attention from the scouts, and since Hatsume was the only Support Course student in the final round, it gave her a unique position to try and get the most eyes on her and advance her own future. But turning the Festival into an advertising campaign felt a little distasteful to me, but maybe I was just being critical at this point.

To ensure that I didn't miss anything too important, I split my attention between listening to Hatsume talk about her inventions and watching Iida's fighting style the best that could be seen in his current state. While I felt that I had better things to do than listen to Hatsume sell her inventions to the crowd, she was clearly a talented creator that had come up with several rather interesting devices. Power Loader had created my Artificial Vocal Chords, which had become a cornerstone of my fighting style, so it was possible that Hatsume would conceive of something just as useful. As for watching Iida, the benefits of keeping an eye on him were obvious, as he was another student that I wanted more information on to think of better counters and techniques to use against him.

I made a mental note to speak to Iida about his overly trusting nature, while I admired that trait in a certain sense, my more cynical side knew that such a personality quirk could be a weakness in the field. Lots of Villains would use trickery and other underhanded methods to defeat Heroes, and if a Hero was too trusting and naïve then they could easily fall victim to whatever ploy was being made. And I was speaking from experience on the subject of trickery, since I had been trained to turn the tables on Villains by avoiding giving them the advantage and use my own tricks to win, even if some people saw my actions as dishonest.

I pondered the best way to teach this lesson to Iida, but all I could come up with was using every trick I had during training until the point I was trying to make came through. Maybe it would just be better to let Aizawa know what I thought and see if he had anything to add? It wasn't my place to teach Aizawa's students, but it felt like my duty to help my classmates as much as possible; and if that was how I could help them, then so be it.

While I was thinking all of this over, Hatsume ended her presentation and jumped from the ring, leaving a bewildered Iida standing alone in the centre of the arena. Iida wasn't the only one who was confused and bewildered by what had just unfolded over the last few minutes, Midnight and Present Mic were seemingly unable to think of anything to say, and most of the crowd were watching in confused silence.

Despite the strange events that had just unfolded, Iida had secured himself a spot in the next round of the battles, which meant that he would be fighting Tokoyami. Iida seemed a little dissatisfied with this victory by technicality, but nonetheless he walked from the arena in his usual upright fashion, focused ahead on the next fight.

* * *

Midoriya and Todoroki's fight was the one that everybody had been waiting for all day, as the tension between the pair was almost unbearable at this point. The two squared off in front of the entire stadium, the expressions on their faces making the upcoming battle seem more like a fight to the death than a match in a Sports Festival. The reputation of the fighters seemed to be the reason for the anticipation of the audience, Todoroki was well known as the son of Endeavour and the spectators were clearly expecting great things from him. Midoriya was more of an unknown, but he had clearly made an impression on the audience through his impressive performance in the previous two rounds, and the cheers of the crowd on Midoriya's entry were even louder than Todoroki's.

Of course, those of us watching from Class 1A's observation box knew the real reason for the tension in the air, and why Todoroki and Midoriya were facing each other down so intently. Todoroki's challenge to Midoriya rang in my ears as I watched them stare at each other, and I wondered how far they would take this battle in the heat of combat. Midnight clearly sensed the tension in the air as well, though she eventually signalled the start of the match after repeating the rules one more time to settle the nerves of everybody in the stadium.

Todoroki opened the match by firing forwards a wave of ice that threatened to envelop the entire arena, the size and speed of his attack would have been enough to defeat almost any opponent. Though our class had seen an example of Todoroki's incredible power on several different occasions, it was always a staggering experience to see the sheer amount of ice that he could produce. The scale of Todoroki's power was intimidating in the extreme, and the speed of the ice he produced was almost as impressive, it seemed he truly had no weakness.

But before the attack could reach Midoriya, he let loose one of his usual bone-breaking attacks that let loose a wave of force that smashed the ice into large chunks before it could reach him. The air was filled with dusted ice and dirt that had spread through the stadium in an instant in a wave of kinetic force that Midoriya had unleashed to defend himself from the wave of ice. Though his power was far less controlled than Todoroki's, Midoriya's strength and indomitable will was just as threatening to be as his opponent, and his ability to secure victory in even the most dire circumstances meant that he remained an unpredictable threat.

Once the dust had settled, it was clear that Midoriya had broken one of his fingers, which I suppose was marginally better than breaking his entire arm with a single punch. Todoroki was unphased by Midoriya's negation of his attack, and simply fired another wave of ice towards his opponent, who again fired forwards a wave of force that shattered the next icy attack that was bearing down on him. This wave was again countered by Midoriya shattering another finger and using the resultant wave of energy to shatter the ice once again, sending Todoroki reeling from the physical backlash.

This back-and-forth exchange continued for a while, with Midoriya growing increasingly frantic and wild-eyed as he broke more and more of his fingers to keep destroying Todoroki's waves of ice. The sheer power on display from the two combatants was incredible, and it wouldn't have looked out of place in a clash between a Pro and a high-class Villain. I had always told myself that I could use my techniques to give me an edge in any fight, and if I was smart enough, I could win almost any fight. But when I saw power like this on display, it was difficult to convince myself that I would be able to win against either of the students in front of me.

Interestingly, Todoroki's waves of ice seemed to be getting smaller and smaller as time went on, and chunks of ice were forming on his right side as he kept using that side of his Quirk. It seemed that even Todoroki has his limits, though the amount of ice that he was able to produce without showing the slightest bit of fatigue was staggering, and he still looked capable of fighting on for a while longer. That said, there was ice spreading all over his right side, and his moves were becoming sluggish whenever he moved his arm to produce another wave of ice.

Midoriya shouted something out to Todoroki, and while his words were obscured by the ice covering the microphones, the passion and energy in his words was clear to see. It seemed that the tension between the pair had reached a fever pitch, and they were in the throes of some kind of dramatic confrontation. Midoriya's usual passion was on full display, and I wondered what exactly had occurred between the pair to evoke such confrontation, surely this couldn't just be the product of their conversation in the waiting room? Todoroki was shaken by Midoriya's words, his expression shifting to one of shock at whatever was being said, before his face then changed again to a wild grin, which was the kind of emotion I had never expected to see from Todoroki.

Todoroki's left side suddenly burst into fire that reminded me of his father, who interestingly enough was shouting his praises to Todoroki and encouraging his son to finish the match using his fire. Endeavour's own fire was bursting from his shoulders in great gouts of flame, sending the audience members nearest to him shuffling away in concern. Endeavour's shouted proclamations rang through the arena and clearly caught Todoroki's attention for a fleeting moment, though interestingly enough he wasn't swayed from his standoff with Midoriya.

Something about the way that Endeavour had acted had always put me on edge, and some of the more obscure Hero forums that I followed would occasionally mention various misdeeds that Endeavour had been accused of. These anonymous forum posters would always say that Endeavour had used his own reputation and legal threats to quiet anybody who spoke ill of him, but he could never quite quash the rumours that circulated the darker corners of the internet.

In fact, one particularly bold poster accused Endeavour of something involving his family and a particularly unpleasant series of actions, something that I had largely forgotten about in the year since I had seen it. But seeing Endeavour talking to his son made that story spring back to mind, and it seemed much more plausible ever since I had first met Todoroki and seen the way he acted. I had expected Endeavour's son to be as loud and aggressive as he was, but Todoroki's cold detachment was almost concerning in how deeply it contrasted with his father.

I wondered if Aizawa knew anything about these rumours, since he was the only Hero I trusted to not run defence for Endeavour simply on the basis of him being a 'fellow' Hero. Then again I doubted that Aizawa regarded Endeavour as much of a fellow Hero, given that they were like night and day in how differently they acted. I resolved to mention my concerns to Aizawa, I could never forgive myself if my fears were confirmed later on and I hadn't done anything about it.

The fight between the pair had come to a standstill, with a flaming Todoroki facing down Midoriya, who was seemingly unaffected by the injuries that his own power had inflicted on him. I was again amazed by Midoriya's incredible pain tolerance, as he had seemingly resorted to breaking his fingers twice each in order to give himself more 'shots' of his power that he could use to deflect Todoroki's ice. I assumed that his waves of force would be able to deflect Todoroki's fire as well, as the air pressure created by Midoriya's Quirk would surely be enough to snuff the flames in an instant. Then again, I wasn't sure exactly how much fire Todoroki could produce since he had adamantly refused to use his fire for anything other than melting ice during training, so the upper limits of his power remained to be seen.

Besides, if my theory on his power was correct then he could use his fire to cancel out the hypothermia that came from overusing his ice. And if Todoroki's fire functioned similarly to his father's, then overusing that power would likely caused some kind of overheating on his body that he could reduce by using his ice. In a sense, if Todoroki used both sides of his Quirk in equal balance then he wouldn't suffer the negative backlash from either side, and he would be limited only by how much physical stamina he had to keep producing ice and fire. If I didn't know better, I would almost think that his Quirk had been specially designed to be the perfect power, but as far as I knew there were no such means to manipulate Quirks in such a way, not that I would put it past Endeavour to try.

I wondered if Midoriya would find a way to better utilise his power without breaking parts of his body, and the prospect of facing Midoriya without any limit on his power was frankly terrifying, and he had the potential to join Bakugo and Todoroki at the very top of the class if he could manage such a thing. Midoriya's Superpower Quirk was quite vaguely defined as a high-level power enhancement ability, and it was possible that he could channel his strength into massive jumps or other applications beyond simply sending out waves of force.

Part of me thought that I was insane to find ways to keep pushing my classmates to get stronger and overcome their weaknesses, since in many ways they were my competitors for future success. But a bigger part of me knew that it was beneficial to all of us to keep pushing forwards and growing stronger together, and if my classmates got stronger then it would be a better challenge for me to figure out how to beat them. Besides, part of me didn't really feel like I was competing with my classmates anyway, fame and recognition would be a detriment to me and my success, so I was almost happy to see my classmates being thrust into the spotlight. My main concern was if Class 1A as a whole captured the public interest, which could be something that pulled me into the spotlight by proximity, which I would have to figure out how to avoid.

Midoriya rushed forwards to meet Todoroki head on, adrenaline keeping him in the fight when the pain of his shattered fingers should have taken him out a long time ago. Todoroki swept his left hand forwards and unleashed a wave of fire onto his opponent, the burning heat forcing Midoriya backwards and pushing him clear of Todoroki again. Even from my elevated position above the arena, I could feel the heat from Todoroki's attack on my face, and I was momentarily glad that I wasn't the one facing down the wave of fire that Todoroki had just produced with seemingly minimal effort.

Midoriya had barely managed to deflect that attack before it made contact with him, and his shot of power this time was poorly aimed and badly timed, so it was barely able to deflect the wave of fire. I could tell that Midoriya was running out of steam, it seemed that the adrenaline that had been keeping him in the fight was running out and the pain of his broken fingers was setting in. I knew that Midoriya possessed almost limitless willpower, but even he had limits to how much pain and exhaustion he could endure, even though he was clearly intent on carrying on.

Todoroki must have sensed this moment of weakness as well, as he pulled back his left arm in preparation to unleash a wave of fire that would most likely take Midoriya out of the fight. The fire flew forwards in a torrent of scorching energy, which filled the stadium in a second and obscured Midoriya from the sight of the crowd. The sound of rushing air and the sight of flames being pushed back made me realise that Midoriya must have fired another shot of force outwards while the fire was all around him, but whatever energy he could muster wasn't enough to blow away the flames completely.

As the fire and smoke vanished, I could see Todoroki and Midoriya standing apart from each other in the arena, each of them frozen for a moment as the shock of the final attack resonated through both of them. Midoriya wavered on his feet for a moment, and I wondered if he was going to keep going; but the final burst of fire had robbed him of any stamina that would allow him to continue fighting, and he fell to the ground in a heap of exhaustion.

Midnight hesitated for a moment before declaring Todoroki's victory and advancement into the second round of fights, it seemed like she needed a few seconds to process what had happened and to check if the fight had truly ended or if Midoriya was going to pull himself to his feet and continue to fight. Once it was clear that Midoriya was out for the count, Present Mic confirmed Midnight's announcement and talked over the crowd as Todoroki left the arena and a group of robots carrying a stretcher took Midoriya out of the arena and presumably towards Recovery Girl. Once the realisation of Todoroki's victory had set in the crowd erupted into applause, though there were clearly some in the stadium who were a little shocked at how far the fight had gone.

Todoroki had kept his word and defeated Midoriya in the first round, and so he had fulfilled his pledge that he had made before the Festival had begun, though he likely expected to meet Midoriya later on. It seemed that Todoroki was the one who had won this clash of ideals, and that he had proved his own strength over the one who he had seen as his main rival in the class.

But if that was the case, why did he look so distraught?

* * *

The final fight of the round was between Ashido and Tsu, and truthfully I wasn't really sure how this fight could end up, and both of my classmates could claim victory. Tsu was more physically adept than Ashido, and her powerful kick was sure to put her opponent out of commission if she was able to land it. On the other hand, Ashido was no slouch physically either, and her Acid Quirk would be a powerful tool against Tsu's close-combat fighting style.

My instinct was to say that Tsu would come out on top, though I wasn't sure if that was because she had a better chance of winning or if it was my own friendship with her that improved her odds in my mind. I knew that Tsu was capable of thinking well under pressure due to her calm and collected nature, something that would surely come in handy when her opponent was throwing balls of acid. Tsu definitely had an edge in physical strength and skill due to her Quirk, but Ashido's greater range and offensive power meant that she could probably defend herself from Tsu very well.

As I watched the pair square off, it was clear that the fight really could go either way, and even though I was inwardly rooting for Tsu, I knew that her coming out on top was far from certain. As soon as the fight began both of the girls moved forwards, each of them using their own methods of mobility to evade the other. Tsu used her jump to stay mobile and airborne, whereas Ashido used acid projected from her feet to slide along the arena at impressive speed, a trick that she had used before during the training battles. Both of them moved impressively quickly, which meant that the combat would surely be faster paced than most of the battles we had seen so far, which would likely make it harder to observe their actions.

Both of the fighters circled each other for a while, seemingly looking for an opening that they could exploit in the others defence. Ashido acted first, throwing baseball-sized lumps of acid at Tsu in an attempt to catch her out of the air. Tsu evaded all of the thrown projectiles with her usual nimbleness, though she was almost caught by the lumps of acid on a number of occasions. The few close calls were only avoided by Tsu's agility, but it was a sign of Ashido's accuracy that she was able to get so close to hitting Tsu with something as unwieldy as a ball of acid.

Watching the delicate game of throwing and dodging was an interesting experience, and it was giving me a great deal of information of how both Tsu and Ashido fought, which would surely come in handy in any future combat exercises. Tsu moved with a calm purpose which spoke to constant planning and practise, but in a way it made her predictable and likely to fall into a pattern, which was something that could be exploited by planning ahead and spotting any particularly weak jumps. As for Ashido, she kept creating and throwing acid with boundless enthusiasm that seemed to show very little fatigue, but this meant that she was much more likely to be sloppy and make a mistake. While Ashido was powerful and possessed good reflexes, her technique could use some work and it meant that she left small but prominent gaps in her defence.

I wasn't sure if either competitor had noticed the weaknesses in their opponent's fighting style, or if it was just my elevated position that made it easier for me to notice these things. I knew from experience that it was much more difficult to plan and assess weaknesses in the heat of a fight, and it was easy to fall into tunnel vision and obsess about beating your opponent to the detriment of all else. This is why Aizawa had emphasised to me the importance of measuring a foe from afar and coming up with a plan to defeat them before diving straight into combat, as this would give me the best opportunity to claim victory. Of course it was sometimes impossible to plan before a fight, and a Hero could easily find themselves ambushed without any information on their opponent or how they fought. But in these situations I had been taught to make space between myself and my opponent to give me time to figure them out and find a weakness to exploit.

These lessons rang through my mind as I watched the battle from below, and truthfully I was thankful that The Festival had given me such a great opportunity to see how my classmates fought and acted. It was pretty difficult to observe other classmates while in my own training exercises, so the ability to observe from a distance was convenient indeed.

After a while of the game of dodging, Tsu saw her opportunity and moved in, hitting Ashido with a powerful kick that threw her out of bounds, ending the battle with a single strike. It was strange to see a fight ending so quickly after how dramatic the previous battle was, but I was happy to see Tsu win her fight and move on to the next round, a fact that Midnight announced over the cheers of the crowd.

Tsu and Ashido both seemed to be in a good mood as they left the arena, Ashido clearly wasn't taking her loss too badly, her bubbly personality must have been keeping her spirits up, which was fairly admirable. As for Tsu, well it wasn't too visible, but I could tell that she was happy with her win. I had gotten a little better as reading Tsu's expressions over time, and it seemed that she was expressing herself more openly as well all settled into life at UA.

With the final battle of the first round over, Present Mic announced that there would be a fifteen minute break before the next group of fights would begin. But before the break there would be a tie-breaker between Kirishima and Tetsutetsu to determine who would move on to the next round, and the game that was decided on was arm-wrestling, which would surely suit the two brawlers well.

I watched the contest with interest, knowing that whoever won this game would be my opponent in the next round of the Festival, so I had personal investment in the outcome. Though the two appeared to be fairly identical in both their Quirks and their approach to combat, there were some slight difference in how the two fought. Kirishima was slightly more defensive, and Tetsutetsu was more offensive, though they were both clearly capable in both aspects.

As I was mulling this over, the contest came to an abrupt end when Kirishima suddenly got the advantage over his opponent, and once he had started winning, it was clear that the contest could only go one way. With a roar of effort, Kirishima slammed Tetsutetsu's hand onto the table, winning the contest and earning his place in the next round. With this announcement the four upcoming fights were displayed on the screens scattered around the arena, with portraits of each of us displayed next to our names. The crowds cheered at the promise of the second round of fights, having surely already been stoked into an excited fervour by the first round, and they all knew that things would only intensify from here.

Hitoshi Shinso vs. Ejiro Kirishima

Katsuki Bakugo vs. Mezo Shoji

Fumikage Tokoyami vs. Tenya Iida

Shoto Todoroki vs. Tsuyu Asui

It was interesting to see that all four members of our group from the Cavalry Battle had made it to the second stage of the fights, each of us having overcome our first opponents with varying degrees of difficulty. But our upcoming fights were all going to be much more troublesome, and it was conceivable that all of us could lose in the second round. Kirishima, Iida, Bakugo and Todoroki were all amongst the most formidable members of our class, and I knew that they would give their all in the coming fights as well. The second round was sure to be far more intense than the first, as everybody was already fired up and ready to fight again, and they had likely all observed their opponents and readied themselves for battle.

While I wished to help my friends strategize and win their own fights, I was up first, and I had to focus on my own plan before I was able to assist anybody else. Fighting Kirishima was a prospect that I didn't exactly relish, he was both strong and durable, his Quirk giving him something close to a perfect defence that made it almost impossible to harm him with conventional attacks. That was a nuisance, as physical attacks were basically my only means of fighting, given that I lacked a powerful elemental Quirk that could bypass Kirishima's defences. I was bereft of my equipment as well, which was a shame since my Capture Tools would be ideal for restraining Kirishima and bringing the fight to a quick end.

At the very least, Kirishima was noticeably less skilled than Ojiro, being more akin to a traditional physical brawler rather than a fast and skilful martial artist, which theoretically gave me an advantage since I should be able to outmanoeuvre Kirishima. But seeing Kirishima fighting Tetsutetsu made me careful not to underestimate him, seeing him both absorb and dish out attacks that would make anybody else crumple in a second was a stark reminder of his durability.

In any other situation, Brainwashing would be my only option, but that was off the table, so I needed to think of something else that would let me claim victory. A small part of my mind told me that it was better to use Brainwashing and confirm my victory, but I knew that winning a Festival wasn't a goal comparable to my ambition to be a Hero, and if this fact led to defeat, then so be it. But this acceptance of stark reality didn't mean that I was giving up on getting as far as possible in this series of fights, if for nothing more than to test my own skill.

I had little over ten minutes to think of a way to overcome Kirishima's unbreakable defence, and I could only hope than an idea came to mind.

* * *

_Author's Note_

_I've split the battle overviews into two separate Chapters on the advice of a few helpful reviewers, so everything has been described more deeply so that this part doesn't feel as rushed._

_The battle against Kirishima has been uploaded today as well, so there's no additional wait for the fight, which I'm sure that some of you have been waiting for._

_I hope this additional detail makes everything more enjoyable and readable, and that this makes these Chapters betters._

_I have a Discord server, and if you'd like to come and join then the link is in my profile._

_Thanks for reading, I'll see you next time._


	31. Chapter 31- Unyielding

Chapter 31- Unyielding

* * *

The time had come for my next fight, and while I had come up with several ideas to use against Kirishima, I wasn't confident enough in any of them to build an entire strategy that I could put into practise. Instead, I would be forced to simply see how things unfolded and make up a plan on the fly, and I could only hope that that we be good enough.

The announcement that we should both make our way to the preparation rooms rang through the stadium, and we each moved to leave the observation box after getting well-wishes from our respective groups. It was only when I turned to leave that I had noticed that Ojiro had returned and was sitting with Koda and Hagakure next to the exit door, it seems that he didn't even announce his arrival. Ojiro was absorbed in conversation with Hagakure, and only when I moved past him did his eyes flick towards me, but I couldn't get a read on his expression before he turned away again.

Once I was out of the observation box I moved to the right side of the corridor, which turned towards Room A, whereas Kirishima was directed to Room B. At least I knew the way to the room this time, so I should have plenty of time to prepare and warm up.

"Hey, Shinso!" Kirishima called out to me, and by the time I had turned to face him he had jogged over and was stood just in front of me "I just want to say something before you go."

I immediately thought of my recent exchange with Ojiro, and a creeping dread in the back of my mind reared its ugly head as I wondered what exactly Kirishima was going to say. But whatever concerns I had were banished when I saw the wide grin on Kirishima's face.

"I just wanted to talk to you before the match!" Kirishima called out again, grinning again as soon as I met his gaze "I just wanted to clear the air before we started the fight."

"Oh yeah?" I tried to stay open to Kirishima but I couldn't quite manage to keep the cynicism out of my voice.

"Yeah!" Kirishima punched one hand into the other for emphasis "I've seen you fighting before but we've never actually fought in training before, so I've been hoping to come up against you today!"

"Right…" I wasn't sure exactly how to respond to this declaration of intent, but before I could say anything else Kirishima spoke up again.

"I guess I've been wanting to test myself against you." Kirishima sounded a bit more relaxed when he spoke against "You've got all of those impressive moves and techniques, and I wanted to see how I could do against you."

"Isn't this a certain win for you though, I can't really harm you with your Hardening?" I was testing the waters with this question, I guess I wanted to see what Kirishima's view on the coming battle was. "I expect that this should be a fairly easy win for you."

"I had thought about that as well." Kirishima scratched the back of his head in what I assumed to be an attempt to relieve the tension "But you've got the same look in your eyes that I've seen before, so I'm guessing you've got a plan."

"We'll see." I chuckled, hoping not to give away that I was still figuring out what to do "I wouldn't want to give away anything before the big show."

"I guess you're right, but don't think I'll be going down easy!" Kirishima slammed his hands together again, displaying an enthusiasm that easily rubbed off on me "I can already feel it, this is gonna be a great battle!"

"I'm looking forwards to it." I answered earnestly this time, I always found myself getting pumped up before a fight, serious or training "So did you just come here to wish me good luck?£

"I guess I want to say that I admire the way you act." Kirishima chuckled in something close to embarrassment "You've got that manly spirit, and I'm looking forwards to fighting against you. I just wanted to make sure that there weren't any hard feelings."

I wasn't really sure how to reply to such an earnest declaration, but I knew that Kirishima had certainly gone up in my estimations, even though this was our first conversation that lasted longer than a few seconds. It seemed that Kirishima was intent on befriending all of Class A, even managing to have Bakugo react towards him with less explosive vitriol than he treated the rest of the class, which spoke to Kirishima's determination if not his taste in company.

"No hard feeling here." I finally replied, holding out my hand in an offering of peace "Let's have a good fight, no matter who comes out on top in the end."

"You've got it!" Kirishima grabbed my offered forearm in a traditional gesture of respect, which I returned "And may the best man win!"

I nodded in agreement, and we both went our separate ways, ready for the fight that would occur in only a few minutes in the arena below. I felt far more at ease with the upcoming battle, since I knew that there was no enmity between me and Kirishima, and he made the battle sound more like a friendly sparring match than a battle in the largest sports event in the country.

Though I appreciated the easing of tensions, that didn't mean that I wasn't going to try my hardest to win the fight, and I was certain that Kirishima was thinking exactly the same thing at this moment. I made my way to the preparation room for one last attempt at figuring out a plan, or at the least to get warmed up and ready for the fight ahead.

* * *

Facing down Kirishima was fairly intimidating, and the knowledge of his strengths and capabilities only intensified this feeling, though I endeavoured to remain as calm and collected as possible. I dimly heard Midnight reciting the rules of the battle as the cheers of the crowd faded into the background, all of my focus was on Kirishima, and I tuned out any noise or sights that might distract me. I took slow and deep breaths as the countdown towards the beginning of the match rang out across the arena, steadying my heartbeat and preparing for battle.

As soon as the battle began, Kirishima rushed towards me while activating his Hardening over his entire body, readying himself for both attack and defence. I spent every second that I could spare watching how Kirishima moved his limbs as he moved towards me, knowing that these first few seconds could potentially set the tone of the entire fight. Once Kirishima was close enough and ready to attack, I leapt diagonally away from Kirishima and out of his range, stopping him from landing any hits on me.

After much deliberation, I had come up with a loose three-step strategy that I believed would give me the best chance of beating Kirishima, though it was admittedly a rather tenuous plan. Each step of the strategy would require me to think and act in a totally different way, and the whole plan would only work if certain assumptions I had made about Kirishima's Quirk were true.

The first phase was the one that I was executing right now: Avoidance. I knew that I had no chance of doing any meaningful damage to Kirishima while his Hardening was active, so I would just stay out of his reach and observe his actions until the time came to execute the second phase. It was frustrating to have to fight in such a restrained way, and I had to stop myself from striking out and exploiting obvious weaknesses, knowing that any attack would be futile.

I had to stay away from Kirishima as much as possible, since even a single hit while he had his Hardening Quirk active could be a significant drawback, and it was difficult to recover once hampered by an injury. At the very least I knew that Kirishima's range was exactly as far as his fists could reach, which meant that keeping a safe distance was fairly achievable. I remembered my various acrobatics techniques that Aizawa had hired a dance teacher to teach me, and now seemed like a better time than most to deploy these moves.

The fight was a game of chase and escape, with Kirishima racing after me and trying to attack with brutal punches whenever he got close enough, and me leaping, diving or ducking away from any blows that got a little too close for comfort. Moving backwards constantly meant that I was able to keep my momentum going throughout the battle, leading one jump into the next to make my movement more efficient. I stayed light on my feet during most battles, though this was the first time that I had spent an entire fight just dodging attacks without making any attacks of my own.

Kirishima's attacks were wide and slow, but he punched with good form and it was clear that he could throw a solid punch even without his Quirk active, speaking to a good deal of training in the physical skills needed to make best use of his Quirk. I was more accustomed to making quick jabs with my fists rather than the wide swings that Kirishima employed, but then again he didn't really need to worry about keeping his arms close at all times for defence. I imagined that having built in defence meant that Kirishima only really learned the offensive half of combat techniques, a weakness that I was counting on for my plan later on.

Kirishima made a particularly wide swing that left him open for enough time to make a safe counter attack, and I decided to test the waters of his toughness if I needed to resort to all-out attack later on. Deciding to preserve my hands, I lashed out with a quick kick to Kirishima's chest, planting my foot solidly into his stomach. It would have been a solid hit against any other opponent, the kind of hit that could potentially turn a draw into a victory in a single blow.

Unfortunately, Kirishima was unaffected by the hit, barely even moving or flinching despite all of the force that I had put into the blow so that I could better test his toughness. The affect on my leg felt like kicking a brick wall, and I was glad that I hadn't gone for a punch since that would have probably done some serious damage to my hand. Kirishima did seem slightly stunned that I had seemingly shifted towards attacking, and I used this brief moment of shock to pull myself back from my strike and leap out of the way and back into safety.

Kirishima went straight back into attacking as soon as he saw me leap out of the way, and I returned to dodging and jumping away from him in what had become an almost familiar pattern of avoidance. I knew that falling into a pattern when fighting was always a bad thing, and if I wasn't careful then Kirishima would figure out a weakness in my movements and find a way to start landing hits on me.

I could hear the voices and calls of the crowds slowly growing louder and louder, and from what I could discern they were slightly frustrated at the lack of action and combat in this fight so far, apparently having been expecting a dramatic clash of Quirks. I wasn't particularly concerned with pleasing the crowd though, so they would just have to wait until I could put the second part of my plan into action. I assumed that the Pro Heroes had a little more patience than the civilians when it came to how the fights unfolded, since I knew that I would still have to attract the attention of a few Pros to get offers for Internships.

As I pondered this, a particularly ambitious backwards leap had pushed me into one of the corners of the arena, leaving me unable to continue on my backwards path and Kirishima's wide stance meant that a retreat to either the left or the right was too risky to attempt. Kirishima was clearly aware of my current predicament as well, and he lunged forwards to capitalise on my situation and maybe even knock me out of the ring. It seemed like a total dead end, but there was something rather audacious that I could attempt that might just work, though I had never quite mastered the move before my training before I entered UA had come to an end.

I held my arms up above my side and crouched low for a second, testing my balance as I watched Kirishima get closer and closer with raised fists, ready to take me out. With a single leap, I jumped towards Kirishima as high as I could manage while tucking my legs in and rolling myself forwards in mid-air, using my momentum and the movement of my body to carry myself forwards. Once I was over Kirishima, I extended my legs and planted both feat squarely on his back, kicking off again by extending my legs and diving forwards. This second leap off of Kirishima's back renewed my momentum and sent me several metres behind him, where I managed to land without falling or stumbling.

This move felt like an eternity, but I knew that it had barely even been a second; and while I had counted through the steps individually, the move as a whole was reminiscent of a flip that led into a kick on Kirishima's back that launched me out of the corner and into safety. I heard a brief cheer from the crowd at the display of acrobatics, though this barely even registered in my focused perception, I was mainly just relieved that the move had gone off as planned. If any of those steps had gone wrong, I could have been pushed out of the ring or just landed flat on my face, but I had somehow managed to land at a good distance.

I had foolishly hoped that the kick on Kirishima's back might have put him off balance while he was lunging forwards, and possibly even knock him out of the ring for a lucky finish on my part. But Kirishima's stance and movements were rock solid, and it seemed that I had done little to disrupt his movements, though it was clear that he was caught off guard by my sudden escape from the trap I had put myself in. After a second to process what had happened, Kirishima turned to face me again, clearly ready to continue the fight that had briefly been paused.

I used the brief pause in the battle to pull myself back onto my feet and steady my breathing, ready to continue the repeated dodging that I had been undergoing for the past few minutes. I was glad that these battles didn't have a time limit, since my plan would take a while to execute and I didn't fancy losing on a technicality before I was able to pull off what I had planned. Still, I could already feel my stamina beginning to ebb from all the dodging and leaping, and I could only hope that I would be able to begin phase two before I ran out of energy myself.

* * *

_Up above the rest of the stadium, Shinso's two hidden observers watched his latest fight with interest, taking in every move that their prospective recruit made. They had been impressed with Shinso's actions so far, but they kept a constant scepticism of the student that had been presented to them. This wasn't an act of spite, but merely a necessity of the job that they had both devoted themselves to._

_"__He's doing well so far." The woman spoke to her colleague first, briefly looking over the sunglasses she had used to conceal her face "I admit, Eraser's proposal is seeming a little more reasonable now."_

_"__I'm still not sure, putting a kid through all of this." The man replied, gesturing his hand to both himself and his colleague "It doesn't seem right, you know?"_

_"__We were both kids when we were approached as well." She shot back, reminiscing about the past "The Network knows that it's easier to reveal The Lie when our new recruits are younger, it gives them more time to get over it."_

_"__We were both graduates, we were more experienced." He retorted, feeling uneasy with the content of their conversation "Recruiting somebody still in school is insane, let alone a First Year."_

_"__Eraser was a Third Year when he was recruited." The woman replied, looking around to reassure herself that everybody was focused on the fight and not on their conversation. "And he's ended up being one of our most successful members."_

_"__Eraser was a special case." He murmured, recalling when Eraserhead was brought into the network only a year after himself "He had an incredible Quirk and an attitude towards society that made him ideal for us."_

_"__Both of those things are true about Shinso as well." She answered, sighing briefly to relive some of the tension her shoulders carried "Believe me, I'm not comfortable with this either."_

_"__I'm not disputing how suitable he is." He sighed as well, hating arguing with his long-time colleague "I just don't want to force somebody so young into our line of work."_

_"__I know what you mean, but we don't have the luxury of time." The woman removed her sunglasses and massaged her eyes in stress, showing an expression of exhaustion "Dozens of threats we've been monitoring have all flared up at once, and now this 'League of Villains' shows up and attacks UA."_

_"__We need new operatives, I agree." The man groans in frustration, an injury from his last raid was still giving him trouble "But pushing children into our world isn't the way to fix that problem."_

_"__What choice do we have? We've always recruited slowly; we have to if we want to survive." She shrugged and replaced her sunglasses over her tired eyes "We have a small pool of suitable candidates as well."_

_"__Right, most people don't have the attitude or mental fortitude to last in this job." He carried on her train of thought "Anybody who's been a Pro Hero for more than a few months is compromised too heavily for us to use them, so we can only grab new students that aren't too heavily involved in the system."_

_"__Right, so we need somebody who's all of the following: not a Pro for more than a few months, not a blind idealist, doesn't have any family in the industry, has a compatible Quirk, has the right frame of mind and willing to bend traditional rules for the greater good." She counted out each point on her fingers for emphasis "Once all of those conditions have been met, we're left with very few people to choose from."_

_"__And we're looking at somebody who meets all of those conditions right now." The man groaned, admitting the position he was in "Not only that, but he comes with a recommendation from a member of The Network."_

_"__He's an ideal candidate, and he comes with UA-grade training as well, so we don't even need to worry about teaching him the basics." She replied, not sounding elated even though she had just won her point "In any other situation, We'd have approached him up by now."_

_"__Except for his age."_

_"__Except for his age."_

_"__Damn, you're right." The man chuckled without humour, realising the truth of his situation "So, what do we do?"_

_"__We don't do anything, at least not right now." The woman corrected, looking back towards the arena "It's up to Eraser to take the first step, the kid is his responsibility after all."_

_"__So we just sit back and assess his skills?" He looked back towards the fight as well, watching the battle in progress "I admit, watching him fight is certainly interesting."_

_"__We'll see him soon enough." She replied, thinking through the file on Shinso that Aizawa had sent to The Underground Network "It's only around two weeks, then we'll see if he's really up for the task."_

* * *

Kirishima threw another Hardened punch, which I was barely able to dodge while also somehow managing to keep my footing, and I leapt backwards before Kirishima had a chance to follow up on his attack with another series of punches. That was one of the closest calls yet, and it was a mixture of training and luck that had kept me in the fight without receiving a hit. I had kept the distance between myself and Kirishima fairly consistent throughout the fight so far, staying at least three metres away whenever I could so that Kirishima couldn't lunge forwards and attack me without giving me time to react.

It was only this close call with Kirishima that let me notice a certain detail that I might otherwise have missed in the heat of battle, a detail that I had been looking for ever since the fight had begun. Just around the collar of Kirishima's shirt, I could see that his skin had returned to it's usual soft state, no longer being reinforced by his Quirk, and a quick glance revealed that same was true around his arms where the sleeves of his shirt started.

My suspicions were correct then, maintaining Hardening for extended periods of time was draining for Kirishima, and in order to save energy he was deactivating his Quirk in concealed areas to maintain the appearance of total strength. This was the true purpose of the first phase, to see if Kirishima's power would ebb and to draw out the fight for as long as possible in order to make the next step easier. Now that I had confirmed that my plan would work, phase two could begin.

Phase two was Weakening, and to accommodate this new approach I stepped out of my evasive stance and into a more traditional combat stance, ready to engage in a more direct manner. Kirishima grinned at this change in pace, and he leapt forwards and started to attack again, wide punches flying from both arms with a surprising speed. I dodged each of there blows in turn, though I kept my dodges quick so that I had time to deliver my own counter attacks, which formed the bedrock of phase two.

I delivered a series of quick jabs to different areas of Kirishima's chest, and while some of my punches were stopped by the shock of Hardened skin, a few of my blows struck unprotected areas, which visibly caused Kirishima to wince with the sudden impact. As I dodged another punch, I realised that Kirishima was likely unused to receiving damage in combat due to his strong defence, and this meant that I would be able to catch him off guard. I noticed Kirishima's skin around his neck seemed to shift between Hardened and normal, and I realised that he was unsure of which parts of his body to defend.

This was the plan behind phase two, since I had confirmed that Kirishima's stamina was weakened by maintaining Hardening, I would continually make quick attack against areas of his body that he wasn't using his Quirk on in order to preserve energy. The benefit of this plan was that Kirishima would expend energy by continuing to Harden large areas of his body, and I would also be able to start landing solid hits on my opponent, which would likely expend even more of his stamina.

As I ducked under another wide punch, I raised my left leg and aimed a kick towards Kirishima's exposed neck, but as my strike was about to land I saw his neck Harden and turn to unyielding rock. I used the momentum of my kick to instead throw the attacking leg sideways onto the ground and spin myself sideways into another stance. As the attacking leg landed on the ground I shifted all of my weight to it and kicked with my other leg instead, this time hitting Kirishima squarely in the stomach. Kirishima must have been caught off guard by this sudden switch of attacks, as his stomach was unprotected and he stumbled backwards with the impact of the hit.

Kirishima's durability and stamina was waning, and the affects of this were becoming more and more obvious as time went on. This was the best chance I had to win before I was totally drained of energy as well, and the fight came down to pure endurance. Now was the time to put phase three into action, which was by far the most risky part of the plan so far, though it was my best chance of winning.

Phase three was Confrontation, where I would take on Kirishima directly and exploit every weakness that I had noticed so far and hopefully secure myself victory in this battle. I didn't change my stance at all for this final phase, since I didn't want to give away that I had changed my approach again, and ensuring that Kirishima wasn't aware of what was about to happen was crucial to ensuring that this phase went off without a hitch. But as soon as Kirishima went to attack me again, that is when this part of the plan would go into action.

Sure enough, a winded Kirishima threw a Hardened punch straight towards me, and unlike every other strike that had been thrown towards me in this fight so far, I made no effort to avoid this punch, instead I faced it head on. As the punch was about to make impact, I grabbed Kirishima's extended arm with both hands and pulled it towards me and to the side, pulling him off balance and weakening his usually solid stance. As Kirishima stumbled, I stepped around him and wrapped both my arms around his shoulders, joining my hands together behind his head in a Full Nelson grab.

Kirishima realised what I was doing and flailed against the hold, but I managed to keep my grasp together despite the sensation of Kirishima's hardened arms cutting into my own limbs. I gritted my teeth through the pain and began to push forwards, using all my remaining strength to slowly march Kirishima forwards, despite his attempts at staying still or escaping from my hold. It seemed that maintaining Hardening took more energy out of Kirishima than I had first realised, as I was sure that he would be able to escape from my hold or resist being pushed if he was still in peak condition.

From what I could discern, it seemed that the areas of his body that Kirishima was able to keep Hardened were getting softer as well, no longer being as solid and unyielding as what I had clashed against earlier. I kept pushing forwards slowly and steadily, forcing Kirishima to keep stepping forwards, and he must have eventually realised what I was planning by keeping him in this hold for so long. With each step that I forced Kirishima to take, we got closer and closer to the edge of the arena, and my plan was to force Kirishima off the edge of the arena by making him unable to dodge or avoid being pushed out.

Once we were stood at the very edge of the arena, Kirishima made one last attempt to stop himself from being pushed out, fully deactivating Hardening all over his arms and head, and I could tell from his change in stance that he had Hardened his legs. It was a smart play, and it would probably have made it impossible to move Kirishima any further, if not for a logical weakness in the way that his power functioned that I could exploit to my own advantage.

In order for Kirishima to be able to move while his Quirk was active, his joints must still be able to bend so that he could walk and swing his fists. With this fact in mind, I pulled one of my legs up and delivered a strong kick to the back of Kirishima's left knee, and my theory was instantly proved when the force of the blow knocked him forwards and weakened his stance. Seeing this work, I kicked the back of his other knee as well, and as soon as Kirishima dropped slightly, I saw my opportunity to end the fight.

As Kirishima dropped to his knees, I released my hold and took a half-step backwards, raising my left leg and lashing out as hard as I could with a kick on his back. Kirishima's stance was gone, and he didn't have the time to react before my hit connected, and it sent him falling over the edge of the ring and into the grass below.

There was a pause for a second where all I could hear was my own breath, and I watched from the edge of the arena as Kirishima pulled himself back to his feet. I gasped for air and stretched my arms outwards as my adrenaline slowly faded at the end of the fight, and I waited for the silence to subside as the end of the fight was broadcast across the screens. Soon enough the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, and Midnight's voice rang through the arena, the speakers casting her voice all throughout the stadium and into the crowd far above me.

"Ejiro Kirishima has been knocked out of the ring!" Midnight called out, and this time I at least had the energy to turn and see the Pro make the announcement "Hitoshi Shinso Wins!"

* * *

_Author's Note_

_And Shinso adds another victory to his list of accomplishments, though this one might have been even more narrow than the last. It was certainly fun to write a Chapter with Shinso fighting Kirishima, given that he is impervious to most of Shinso's combat techniques and is able to throw out a serious offence of his own._

_In the end, I had to have Shinso display his more tactical side again, which is something I know that a lot of you enjoy, since showing Shinso's tactics is always fun. I tried to come up with logical weaknesses for Kirishima's Quirk alongside with what's been shown in canon, though I have to give special thanks to user alexanderjuarez499 for giving me the idea of using Kirishima's joints as a weakness for his Quirk that Shinso is able to exploit._

_The next Chapter will show the other three fights taking place in this round, which I should be able to dive into a bit more deeply than the last round given that there are fewer fights for me to explore. After that will be Shinso's next fight, you can probably guess who it will be, but in the name of narrative suspense I'll keep things mysterious for now._

_I have a Discord server now, and it'll be nice to see you there if you decide to come along. The link is in my profile, and I'll be glad to see you there._

_Thanks for reading, I'll see you next time._

_And to answer some reviews:_

_Aleska1492: I'm glad that you enjoyed Shinso's commentary on the fights, and I hope that the expanded Chapters and the additional commentary was a good read. I hope that you enjoyed the fight with Kirishima, it was definitely a strength vs. skill fight and I hope that the eventual victory for Shinso was a satisfying outcome. You're right to say that Asui, Shoji and Tokoyami all have difficult fights ahead, I wanted to make it that all four of them could conceivably lose their fights, and even though Shinso won his battle, the others could still go either way. As for Iida, as far as I can tell he got the news about his brother after his loss against Todoroki in the third round, so that won't come into play just yet. Thanks for the great review and don't apologise for writing a long comment, that's my favourite kind of thing to read and reply to._

_Klincher: Thanks for the review, you're right that things weren't detailed enough and I hope that the revised Chapters and this new fight was a good read and that things came out better._

_Raven Mordrake: You're dead on with how things unfolded, Kirishima is certainly a competent fighter but Shinso had enough skill to figure out a way to overcome him. I hope you enjoyed this Chapter and that the fight was a good read._

_Takajou: Thanks for the positive review, I hope you enjoyed this Chapter as well._

_Evergone the Great: Dead on as always Evergone, though it wasn't an easy fight you're right that Shinso was able to come out on top. As for Bakugo, you're right that it's going to be an incredibly difficult fight, but we'll have to see how things pan out._

_StandupSitdown 1: I'm gonna split my replies up because these reviews were pretty long, so thank you for giving me such an enthusiastic and interesting review. The cheerleader thing was just a gag I thought of in the moment, since I thought it would be funny to see Shinso's reaction to such a strange situation. Work has been pretty busy for me as well, and I'm glad to hear you've had the chance to catch a breath and get yourself some time to relax. I mainly went for the Ojiro rivalry since they have conflict in canon and I liked the contrast between their worldviews, glad to hear that you liked the setup._

_StandupSitdown 2: Glad to hear that you enjoyed the fight, I enjoy writing the step-by-step actions in combat so it's good to see that that came across well. There will be reactions to Shinso's fights sprinkled throughout the coming Chapters as well, I hope you enjoy those._

_StandupSitdown 3: It's good to see that you liked Shinso's insights, though I've expanded them into two Chapters after some feedback and my own thoughts that things were too brief. I like the idea of using Brainwashing in small amounts for an advantage, and while I had finished the Kirishima fight before I saw your review, I'll keep it in mind for the next fight. I'm not sure what would happen in canon if Kirishima was Brainwashed, but my own interpretation would be that the Quirk would deactivate, since it requires conscious effort to maintain and Brainwashing totally shuts down any movement or thought. Thanks again for the extensive reviews, and I hope that you enjoyed these two Chapters as well._

_Amelia831: Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoyed this Chapter as well. You're right that the fight was difficult, but Shinso was just about able to come out on top. An interaction with Stain would certainly be interesting, and while I have the Internship mostly planned out since it's the point where everything comes together, I'll keep that idea in mind._

_Peggy: I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed this new Chapter, and I hope that the fight with Kirishima was satisfying and an enjoyable read. I'm glad to hear that you enjoy the dynamic between Aizawa and Shinso, which is something that I always enjoy writing and coming back to._


End file.
